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| The Translator Symmachus. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Chapter
XVII.—The Translator
Symmachus.1894
1894 On Symmachus, see the previous chapter, note 4. |
As to
these translators it should be stated that Symmachus was an Ebionite.
But the heresy of the Ebionites, as it is called, asserts that Christ
was the son of Joseph and Mary, considering him a mere man, and insists
strongly on keeping the law in a Jewish manner, as we have seen already
in this history.1895
1895 In Bk. III. chap. 27. For a discussion of Ebionism, see the notes
on that chapter. | Commentaries of
Symmachus are still extant in which he appears to support this heresy
by attacking the Gospel of Matthew.1896
1896 On the attitude of the Ebionites toward the Canonical Gospel of
Matthew (to which of course Eusebius here refers), see ibid.
note 8. All traces of this work and of Symmachus’ “other
interpretations of Scripture” (ἄλλων
εἰς τὰς
γραφὰς
ἑρμηνειῶν), mentioned just below, have vanished. We must not include
Symmachus’ translation of the Old Testament in these other works
(as has been done by Huet and others), for there is no hint either in
this passage or in that of Palladius (see next note) of a reference to
that version, which was, like those of Aquila and Theodotion, well
known in Origen’s time (see the previous chapter). | Origen
states that he obtained these and other commentaries of Symmachus on
the Scriptures from a certain Juliana,1897
1897 This Juliana is known to us only from this passage and from
Palladius, Hist. Laus. 147. Palladius reports, on the authority
of an entry written by Origen himself, which he says he found in an
ancient book (ἐν
παλαιοτ€τῳ
βιβλί& 251·
στιχηρῷ),
that Juliana was a virgin of Cæsarea in Cappadocia, and that she
gave refuge to Origen in the time of some persecution. If this account
is to be relied upon, Origen’s sojourn in the lady’s house
is doubtless to be assigned, with Huet, to the persecution of Maximinus
(235–238; see below, chap. 28, note 2). It must be confessed,
however, that in the face of the absolute silence of Eusebius and
others, the story has a suspicious look. | who, he says, received the books by
inheritance from Symmachus himself.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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