By Water & Blood

The Fifth and Sixth Translations

18. Concerning the fifth and sixth translations, which were found in wine jars in Jericho after the persecution of Verus, in the time of Antoninus, who is called Caracalla and Geta.^[164] But as to the fifth and sixth translations, I have nothing to say as to those who translated them or whence they were, but only that after the persecution of King Verus,^[165] in the time of Antoninus,^[166] son of Severus, who is called Caracalla, also Geta,^[167] the fifth was found in Jericho, hidden in wine jars.^[168] For as to the time of those who reigned after Antoninus Pius----translated, "devout"----the succession, in order, is : After Antoninus |35 Pius reigned Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, otherwise Verus, nineteen ^[169] years. And the same man is called Commodus Lucius.^[170] In his time, as I have already said, Symmachus the translator became known.^[171] After him Commodus II reigned thirteen years. At this time we have learned^[172] that Theodotion became known, he who ^[173] became a Jew, (going) from the Marcionites, and^[173] made the fourth translation. And Pertinax succeeded Commodus^[174] and reigned six months. Severus^[175] succeeded him and reigned with his son Antoninus, otherwise Geta, eighteen years.^[176] And when Severus died, his son Antoninus Geta^[177] inherited his sovereignty, he that is called Caracalla, and he served seven years. In his days,^[178] as I have said above,^[179] were found the Scriptures in the fifth translation, hidden in wine jars in Jericho with other Hebrew books and other books.^[180] Macrinus succeeded Caracalla and reigned one year.^[181] Antoninus II succeeded him,^[182] reigning four years. After him reigned Alexander, the son of Mammaea,^[183] thirteen years. In the midst of these times the sixth translation was found, also hidden in wine jars, in Nicopolis, near Actium. After him Maximian reigned three years. Gordian succeeded him and reigned six years. After him Philip reigned seven years. Decius succeeded him and reigned one year and three months. In the time of Decius Origen became known, flourishing from the time of Decius through the days of Gallienus^[184] and Volusianus and beyond.^[185] |36 But in the persecution that took place under Decius, ^[186]already mentioned,^[186] Babylas suffered martyrdom in Antioch, Flavianus in Rome, and Alexander, the bishop of Jerusalem, in Caesarea. ^[187]In this time of persecution,^[187] while Origen himself suffered many things of the heathen in Alexandria, ^[188]he who is also called Adamantius,^[188] he did not attain the goal of martyrdom. But when he had come to Caesarea Stratonitis and had dwelt a little while in Jerusalem, he afterward went to Tyre. Twenty-eight years, as the story goes, he devoted to ascetic practices, and he set forth^[189] the Scripture, placing the six columns (of the Greek) and the two columns of the Hebrew side by side, one translation alongside another, calling the books the Hexapla, as has already been fully related by me above.^[190]

19. But when the fifth and sixth translations of the Scriptures were found in the manner we have related and no one knew who they were who had translated them, according to the time when they were found he (Origen) attached^[191] them to the four earlier ones successively in the series. He called one the fifth, writing over it, by means of the fifth letter, the number five and giving it a name. Likewise also to the one after it, writing a letter above it as a symbol,^[192] he gave the name of the sixth translation. But, moreover, he did this skilfully, a thing that has escaped some of the lovers of learning. For when people happen upon the Hexapla or Octapla----for the Greek (columns) are a tetrapla when the (translations) of Aquila, Symmachus, the seventy-two, and Theodotion are placed together; but when these four columns are joined to the two Hebrew columns they are called the Hexapla, and when the fifth and sixth also are joined successively to these they are called the Octapla----I mean, the six translations and the two others, one written in Hebrew characters and in their own words, and the other in Greek characters but with the Hebrew words^[193]----when some |37 people, then, as I have said, happen upon these books and find the first two columns of Hebrew placed together, and after them that by Aquila placed first^[194] and after it that by Symmachus, afterward that by the seventy-two and after it that by Theodotion, grouped together, and afterward the fifth and sixth (translations), they conclude that Aquila and Symmachus translated first.^[195] But it is not so; but Origen, having learned that the translation of the seventy-two was correct, placed it in the middle so that it might refute the translations on either side. This one thing only Origen did helpfully. Now, that we may not omit to give the succession of the kings of the Romans, which we began, we will proceed to give in order the sequences of the other kings, according as each of them reigned.

20. After Gallienus^[196] and Volusianus, already mentioned, who reigned two years and four months, Valerian and Gallienus reigned twelve years. In the ninth year of their reign Mani came up from Persia, when he disputed with Archelaus, bishop of Kaschara in Mesopotamia, met defeat, (and) fled secretly. For when he came to Diodoris,^[197] a town under the authority of Kaschara, and disputed with the holy Tryphon,^[198] the priest, he was completely humiliated before him. (And) when the holy Archelaus heard that he had come to Tryphon and had held a disputation with him, he came (and) met him and arranged a debate with Mani, and when he had completely defeated him he put him to shame.^[199] Thereupon Mani^[200] was about to die by stoning from the people, but, having been saved by Bishop Archelaus, he returned to the country of the Persians. The king of the Persians heard of his coming; and, when he had sent and had him brought, he was ordered flayed by means of a reed.^[201] And thus he returned (only) to end his life,^[202] because he had committed murder and |38 was unable to heal the demon-possessed son of the king as he had promised, so the story has it. And after Valerian and Gallienus, Claudius reigned one year and nine months. Aurelian succeeded him and reigned five years and six^[203] months. After him Tacitus reigned six months.^[204] After him Probus reigned six years and four months. After him Carus, with his sons Carinus and Numerian, reigned two years. After him Diocletian, with Maximian and Constantine ^[205]and Maxentius, reigned^[205] twenty^[206] years, ^[205]declaring Maxentius his colleague in the kingdom.^[205] In their days there was a violent persecution, ^[207]lasting from the eighth year of Diocletian to his nineteenth year, twelve years taken all together.^[207] And after the persecution ceased Diocletian reigned one year more and, having become old, he ceased to reign. But Maximian fell by a terrible death, with a disease of the eyes and bodily suffering. His eyeballs were automatically torn out by the disease in the very way he had appointed for the martyrs of Christ.^[208] And thus he gave up the ghost, leaving Licinius and Constantine as rulers. And from Diocletian onward the years of Maximian, of Licinius, and of the blessed Constantine, who ruled with his sons, were thirty-two years. And he left his three sons as rulers---- Constans, Constantine, and Constantius.^[209] But after the thirty-two years of Constantine, the years of his sons who succeeded him---- Constans, Constantine, and Constantius----(and) of the impious Julian, of Jovian,^{[210] [211]}of Valentinian the Great, of Valens his brother, of Gratian the son of Valentinian,^[211] of Valentinian the Younger, son |39 of Valentinian, brother^[212] of Gratian, of Theodosius the God-fearing king, of Arcadius his son, and of Honorius the Illustrious, the son of Theodosius,^[213] unto the present^[214] second^[215] consulship of Arcadius Augustus^[214] and Rufinus----the years, ^[216]as I have said before,^[216] are fifty-seven. And in the consulship of Arcadius Augustus and Rufinus Valentinian the Younger died, being found surprisingly hanged in the palace of Tiberius,^{[217] [218]}as the story is told,^[218] on the ides of May, on the day before Pentecost, on the Sabbath day; and on the day of Pentecost itself he was borne (to his grave). And so it was, according to the Egyptians, the twenty-first day of the month Pachon, according to the Greeks the twenty-third of 'Iyar, and according to the Romans the seventeenth day before the calends of June.^[219]