Excerpts from Theodotus 27.1
Summary: The high priest's laying aside of the golden plate before entering the Holy of Holies signifies the purified soul laying aside its body, having the Name engraved within.
Greek text · Stählin 3:115
Ὁ ἱερεὺς εἰσιὼν ἐντὸς τοῦ καταπετάσματος τοῦ δευτέρου τό τε πέταλον ἀπετίθει παρὰ τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ τοῦ θυμιάματος, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐν σιγῇ τὸ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐγκεχαραγμένον ὄνομα ἔχων εἰσῄει, δεικνὺς τὴν ἀπόθεσιν τοῦ καθάπερ πετάλου χρυσοῦ καθαροῦ γενομένου καὶ κούφου διὰ τὴν κάθαρσιν, τοῦ ὥσπερ σώματος τῆς ψυχῆς [ἀπόθεσιν], ἐν ᾧ ἐγκεχάρακτο τὸ γάνωμα τῆς θεοσεβείας, διʼ οὗ ταῖς ἀρχαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις ἐγινώσκετο τὸ ὄνομα περικείμενος.
English · Claude translation
The priest, entering within the second veil, used to lay aside the plate beside the altar of incense, and himself went in in silence, having the Name engraved on his heart. This showed the laying aside of the body of the soul, as it were, which has become like a plate of pure gold and light because of its purification, on which was engraved the luster of godliness, by which he was known to the principalities and powers as bearing the Name.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- This chapter, probably Clement's own, allegorizes the high priest's entry into the Holy of Holies (Exod 28:36–38; Lev 16). The plate bore the divine Name. The bracketed word in the Greek is the editor's deletion.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Exc. 27.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-excerpta/27/1/).
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Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Exc. 27.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-excerpta/27/1/).
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