79. "
For a bird there is, which is called phoenix": No other tale is reported in whose explanation writers more agree and more disagree. Almost all agree in the <literal matter>, <but> disagree about the manner <of interpretation>. And in fact <it> is the custom <of> the Fathers to use the example of the phoenix, some towards morals, some towards mysteries <such as> the virgin birth and the <Lord's> and our resurrection. <It> is brought by others against false dogmas, in <the writings of> Augustine, book 4, "On the Soul and its Origen", chapter 20; and in <the writings of>
Maximus, cited in the
Euthymius's Panoply, part 2, title 15, page 607, and in the Notes of
Hoeschel on codex 126 of the Photian "
Library". But <it is> amazing that to all Christians <it> did not smell <of> fraud on account of the paganism mixed into the story. Now, since "
phoenix" in Greek signifies both a unique bird and a palm-tree, from this it is done that [the text of David's psalm] 91, <verse> 13, "<The> just will flourish like a phoenix", is accepted by most <as> about a palm-tree, <but> by Tertullian in "Book on the resurrection of the flesh", chapter 13, and by Epiphanius in chapter 11 of "
Physiologue"[[A]] <as> about a bird. From here also <it> happens that Ezekiel the poet, in the drama entitled "Exodus", after he treated of the seventy palm-trees <in> Exodus 15:27, he appended a meeting <with> and description of the phoenix, in verses which Eusebius's "Evangelical Preparation", book 9, chapter 29, and
Eustathius's Commentary on "The Six Days"[[B]], page 25, 26, contain; and <it happens> that the author of the song on the phoenix, attributed to
Lactantius, gave place to the palm-tree in his fiction; <and> finally <it happens> that by reason of etymology some have deduced the tree from the bird, <and> some the bird from the tree: about which should bee seen, beyond the just mentioned poet,
Pliny, "<Natural> History", book 13, chapter 4, and
Isidore, "Origins"[[C]], book 17, chapter 7, and book 13, chapter 7. Furthermore, the <little narrative> of the phoenix in the later editions of Jerome is defective, and thus from the old Lyonnaise <manuscript> should be called back to former wholeness, by rewriting in this manner: "The phoenix is a bird in India, and <after> five hundred years <it> fills itself with <aromatic herbs> from <Syria> and thus <makes a nest>. And <it> indicates to the Heliopolitan priest <in> the month of Famenoth or Farmuth. The priest fills the altar with twigs, and there the phoenix brings <aromatic herbs>, and places <amber-colored metal> in the altar. And at the first rise of the sun, the phoenix indeed moves <its> feathers, but by the heat of the sun the <amber-colored metal> is ignited, and thus the <aromatic herbs> are burned up, and the phoenix itself is set aflame. On the following day, from the ash is generated a worm, second, it brings forth feathers, third, it returns to <its> former nature: and thus to its own places it returns." The passage is had in the Epistle, or rather after the Epistle to Praesidius, regarding the
Paschal <candle>.--
Cotelier
"
For a bird there is, which is called phoenix": Regarding the phoenix, a <
much-chattered-about> bird, and a symbol of the resurrection, many <people have said> many <things>, the Greek and Latin Fathers, historians, and philosophers, with restrained and loose speech. Now,
Maximus, against the dogmas of Severus, <in a letter> to Peter the Illustrious[[D]] tries to demonstrate <as> a fable <the things> which are told about it, and he contends that no animal is "
unique, nor does any of the bodies" (as he says) "
<which> <in the course of> generation and destruction <are> animate and perceptive begin according to a unique origin of nature. Of which things the succession from each other according to form, is a conspicuous mark and definition of being." I, although uncertain are things which are reported about this bird, and augmented with fabulous <things> (as <does> Tacitus <in> book 4 of "Annals"), nevertheless that <there> is a winged <animal> of such a kind, which is restored by the renewed humor of its flesh, and rises from its <own> pyre, and is heir of its <own> body and produce of its <own> ash, and which <situation> also in Egypt is sometimes seen; with that I do not dispute: and I prefer with our Clement, as apostolic man, Tertullian,
Origen,
Cyril of Jerusalem, Eusebius,
<Gregory> Nazianzen,
Epiphanius,
Synesius, Jerome, Ambrose,
Lactantius, Pliny, Seneca,
Mela,
Solinus,
Philostratus, L
ibanius, and others, to err; than to follow Maximus and the opinion of his followers, who measure
the almighty power of the demiurge with the feebleness of human reason, and circumscribe the lord of subservient nature. Now, against Maximus I oppose Origen, who <in> book 4 "Against Celsus", asserts that this can be done according to nature; his words <are> thus: "
<It is possible for> even it to occur <as> natural, the divine providence <having abundantly provided>, and among the differences of animals <it is possible> to set before men the <dazzlingly variegated quality> of the <preparatory furnishing> of the <things> in the cosmos, <which quality> applying even to birds; and <it sc. divine providence> <brought into existence> some unique animal, so that even with this he might make be admired not the animal, but the <one who has made> it." And to this most full and most firm (so that I might use the words of Tertullian) example of the resurrection, from
Methodius also [of the newest day] I add a not dissimilar sign and lesson in nature: evidently, the ["pyragnum"] plant, which <when> <mount> Olympus <is burning> thrives and blooms in the <midst of the flames>, as if it were planted next to a downflow of waters; but <it is preferable> to hear him himself, who was an
eyewitness of this miracle.[[E]] "
I saw on Olympus <for myself> a fire spontaneously throughout the ridge of the mountain from below sent up from the ground; around which is a "pyragnus" plant, on the one hand so flourishing and verdant, but on the other hand so <thickly shaded>, as <though> below a stream" <<perhaps 'upon a stream'>> "rather it has sprouted forth; through what cause, therefore, if <its> substances are of destructible and by fire [consumed] bodies, does this plant not only not burn up, but rather <more vigorously> exists, if <in its substance> <it> is <easily burned> and [these <things occur>] <when> the fire <is smouldering> around its very roots? Then at least, branches of trees from the adjacent wood I threw along whichever place the fire belched forth, and straightaway taken up into flame <they were burnt to ashes>. What, therefore, <does> this contradiction <mean>? God placed this <as> an indication and introduction of the coming day, so that we may know that <when> everything by fire <is rained down upon>, the bodies persisting in purity and justice will step upon fire just as upon cold water."[[F]] But to the skilled [initiates] of nature I relinquish these things' hidden causes to be carefully investigated, and with
Cyril of Alexandria, about the whale which by the command of God devoured Jonah, making words I conclude this passage: "
We say, therefore, that <as> a contradiction truly and beyond both reason and <habitual acquaintance> we might suitably consider the <chance event>; but if God <could be said> to accomplish <it>, who yet <will be a disbeliever>? For the divine is almighty, and easily <remodels> the natures of beings towards whatever indeed <it> <might choose>, and against his ineffable breaths nothing <is> <that which leads out against>; for the <thing which has grown> to be corrupted might become stronger even than deterioration <when he wishes>, and the <thing which has been fixed> and <is> unshaken and <is> disagreeable to the laws of deterioration, might easily suffer deterioration; for nature, I think, for beings <is> <what seems best> to the founder." But while we write these things, a by far pernicious notice is brought to here regarding the fall of an incomparable hero and most warlike king, indeed the August
Gustavus, phoenix of this century; whose excellent deeds the eternal honor of chronicles will celebrate: we are able not unsuitably to lament his alas too sudden and for the Christian world premature death (if true are <the things> which <are becoming widespread> through sad rumor) <with> a comparison taken up from the phoenix and <with> the words of Libanius <on> the murder of a vigorous warrior, but by far dissimilar leader; if any words avail sufficiently to express so great and so calamitous a loss of so great a leader:[[G]] "
He departed, on the one hand, having tasted the <civilized world> of the good, but not <sufficiently having achieved> to satiate <himself>; but we have experienced as if it is at hand for the phoenix bird on the one hand to extend <its> flight though the whole land, but to stand in no place, neither of countries nor of cities; for thus dim has become for men the appearance of <that> bird; and now what blessedness he rendered, he ran through as though winged": unless God, the best and greatest, having had mercy upon his church,from his ashes should raise up another new and revived phoenix for his laboring people; so that he might do which thing, we will not cease to importune with assiduous and ardent prayers.
May it happen, may it happen.--
Young
Photius in the "Library", according to the irritable nature of critics, ascribes <as a fault> to our author that he here has made words about the phoenix. However, he could have remembered that in sacred writings, at least from the <opinion> of the
70 translators, Jerome, and other translators, animals are recounted not more unknown by the experts <in> natural history and philosophy, than this Assyrian bird, <">which <as> heir of its own body and product of <its own> ashes is asserted to be restored by the renewed humor of its own flesh and to rise up again from the funeral pyre<">[[H]]; there also are rendered
jackals,
satyrs,
dragons,
lilith,
wild goat,
bearded vulture,
lion,
goat-stags, griffins,
ant-lions, fauns, satyrs, sirens, <and> lamias.[[I]]. But in fact, <it> deserves a disquisition whether express mention about the phoenix is had in Sacred Scripture, of course, <in> the book of Job, chapter 29, <verse> 18, where it says: "
I will die with my nest, and like sand I will multiply <my> days"[[J]]. <Rendered in Latin as:> "I will die in my nest and like the phoenix I will multiply <my> days". The most ancient authors among the Hebrews, the
book of Zohar, the
Talmud in
tractate Sanhedrin,
Bereshith Rabbah, the book of
Yalkut[[K]], <and>
Rabbi Shlomo Yarchi in commentary at this passage clearly are of this opinion. And in fact, in the
Masorah <it> is specifically noted this this word, "
sand", means something other than <what it means> usually, about which Jerome <writes> in the epistle "To Praesidius". But also from a certain Masoretic note [which is read <as> added to certain manuscript Bibles <and> by which <note> <it> is set forth that <sc. this word> is found twice and that it <is found> in two meanings], <it> follows that in <the book of> Job <it> means
phoenix, while <in> Genesis 22:17 <it> means
sand. Furthermore,
Rabbi David Kimhi says that he found the word "
CH-W-L"[[L]] with
Shurek[[M]], so that it means phoenix, in a corrected Jerusalem book. In fact, the
70 elders thus rendered these words, "
My lifetime will grow old like a root of a phoenix", where
phoenix is a homonym and expresses
palm-tree no less that
phoenix. But since indeed nowhere is <it> known that "
CH-W-L"[[L]] denotes a palm-tree, <it> comes to be thought whether truly unbelievable is <the word> "the root" placed here [in <the writings of> them <sc. Septuagint translators>] in that meaning, for which
stock and
pedigree in almost all [dialects] are employed throughout. If which thing is done, the 70 Translators themselves completely acknowledged the phoenix. But yet if <it> is added [<as> a support to the passage], that especially praised authors, some sacred, some profane, of course, Herodotus, Tacitus,
Dio, Plutarch, Pliny, Seneca, Mela, Solinus, Philostratus, Libanius, Tertullian, Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Eusebius, <Gregory> Nazianzen, Epiphanius, Synesius, Jerome, Ambrose, Lactantius,
Bede, etc., such that <I might be silent about> the race of poets and pass over writers of a lesser era, were of the same opinion; <it> should seem not at all amazing (howsoever
Bochart may think otherwise) that the most learned
Young [determined to himself with so many signs to err, especially in a matter where <one is mistaken> without injury, <rather than> by acceding to promoters of the contrary opinion indeed to think rightly]. Certainly although Cornelius Tacitus, with whom agree the remaining historians of that century, eloquently says: "<When> Paulus Fabius and Lucius Vitellius <were> consuls, after a long period of centuries, the phoenix bird <came> to Egypt, and <provided> to the most learned of the native <peoples> and of the Greeks the material of discussing many things about that miracle"; not at all is <it> to be thought that he blathered a mere lie and a pure, clear fable; especially since <it is established> sufficiently how much the evil demon once [would leap upon] the superstition and ignorance of wretched men, and [how much <it> was <for his benefit> <at> that time, when the splendor of the Gospel began to greet the <world> with life-giving rays, to conciliate his very self to some noteworthy fiction.] And indeed <he> who had manifested himself as "prince of the air"[[N]] through the ministries of birds and the universal apparatus of augural knowledge, and who had consecrated with the solemn
talking-marvel of birds those most celebrated <oracles> of the
Dodonian Jove among the Greeks, and the oracles of
Amun among the Egyptians, about which matter Herodotus, among others, in <Book 2 of the Histories>[[O]] can be consulted, will not appear to have acted absurdly, if he tried to establish <as> sacred his own judgments, <with> the <wondrous sign> at
Heliopolis <having been> called back, which long ago had inspired the souls of men, and had been able <to solemnly bind> the most ready faith to itself: no wonder that after a certain long interval, a bird of certainly unusual form, [at least by color], if not to be called phoenix even by the old nomenclature, showed its very self; in order that I use the words of Tacitus, "which <bird>, <with> a weight of myrrh <having been taken up>, and <it having been tested> through a long journey <what place> is equal to the burden <and> equal to the travel, conveyed its bundle to the altar of the son and <burned it in worship>"[[P]]; and by that plainly miraculous <ceremonial service>, no less than by <public spectacle>, added honor to the altars. Certainly that <wondrous sign>, which gave courage to
Tarquinius Priscus, such that he lay hold of <commanding authority> among the Romans, so that I may pass over other things mentioned by Livy, [seems to draw much from <i.e. be founded upon> this <sc. story of the phoenix?> for him, <and also> to bear a torch <i.e. guide> for him. But if these things less satisfy, it could be said that the phoenix's history is <considered> among all as conceded, and therefore <it> most rightly <is serviceable> to an argument led
against the men <"ad hominem">; for it reports nothing, by which arms we may strike down an enemy; nor less happily will error be disproved by an admitted error, than by truth produced in <public> do trust and contract approach to truth.][[Q]] Nor otherwise does the blessed Paul seem, when in this business he dwells among those judges (I understand <them to be> Corinthians), to have recounted <in service of> his cause a usage equally improbable <as> this history of the phoenix, <namely,>
baptism for the dead, so that thence he confirmed the resurrection.--
Fell
About the phoenix we have no more ancient testimony than that which exists in the "Chinese History" of
Martini, a man most worthy of trust, under the emperor Xoarro IV[[R]]: "Near the beginning of the empire, the bird of the Sun appeared, by whose coming they commonly consider that happiness is portended for the kingdom. From <its> form, by which they depict this bird, you would believe <it to be> an eagle, if the wonderful and colorful variety of feathers did not oppose. That I suspect <it> to be the phoenix, its rarity persuades." You may read the same things in the verses of
Ezekiel the Tragedian, <as cited> in Eusebius, "Preparation for the Gospel", book 9, and
Eustathius in the "Six Days".--
Colomiès
80. "at the release of dying": Bois advise <that it> should be read, "at the release and moment of dying". Which Epiphanius thus expressed: "<Inasmuch as> it might know the impending moment of its death", and Ambrose: "Which <bird> when <it> has noticed the end of life is near to itself," and Tacitus: "<When> indeed the number of years <is> accomplished, when death approaches, in its lands <it constructs> a nest," etc.--Young
81. "bends away from": Alternately, swims across, or finishes, that is, it is carried with one outset <and> flies direct<ly> to Egypt. But Wotton changes nothing: for he thinks, following Hesychius, that the word "bends away", that is, "turns" or "circles" (bends from Arabian land to Egypt) most aptly suits this passage.--Gallandi
82. "
and by day": If you hear
Leclerc, "
and through day<-time>" <should be> read.--The same <sc.
Gallandi>
