Melito
of Sardis Peri Pascha / On The Passion / On The Passover 94-97
Gerard S. Sloyan, The Crucifixion of Jesus: History, Myth,
Faith. Minneapolis: Fortress Press (1995) pp. 123-4
Listen while you
tremble before him on whose account the Earth trembles:
He that suspended the
Earth was himself suspended.
He that fixed the
heavens was fixed [with nails].
He that supported the
Earth was supported on a tree.
The Master was
exposed to shame,
God put to death!
O. Perler, trans., Sur la Pâque. Paris (1996), p. 116
______________________
Northwestern University – On
the Passover
http://www.kerux.com/doc/0401A1.asp (modified)
94. Pay attention, all families of the nations, and observe!
An extraordinary
murder has taken place in the center of Jerusalem,
in the city devoted
to God's law, in the city of the Hebrews,
in the city of the
prophets, in the city thought of as just.
And who has been
murdered? And who is the murderer?
I am ashamed to give
the answer, but give it I must.
For if this murder
had taken place at night, or if he had been slain in a desert place, it would
be well to keep silent.
But it was in the
middle of the high street, even in the centre of town, while all were looking
on, that the unjust murder of this just person took place.
95. And thus he was lifted up upon the tree, and an inscription
was affixed identifying the one who had been murdered.
Who was he?
It is painful to
tell, but it is more dreadful not to tell.
Therefore, hear and tremble because of him for whom the earth
trembled.
96. The one who hung the
earth in space, is himself hanged.
The one who fixed the
heavens in place, is himself impaled.a
The one who firmly
fixed all things, is himself firmly fixed to the tree.
The Lord is insulted,
God has been murdered,
The King of Israel has been destroyed by the right hand of Israel.
97. O frightful murder! O
unheard of injustice!
The Lord is
disfigured and he is not deemed worthy of a cloak for his naked body, so that
he might not be seen exposed.
For this reason the
stars turned and fled, and the day grew quite dark, in order to hide the naked
person hanging on the tree,
Darkening not the body of the Lord, but the eyes of men.
a “fixed
[with nails]” in Sloyan, p. 123. Gk. probably a conjugation of πήγνυμι.
b “But it was in the middle of the high
street, even in the centre of town” Gk.: ἐπὶ μεσης Πλατεια καὶ α μέσω
πολεὣς = upon of-the-middle of-the-Broad-Flat-space and
their in the-middle of-town.
|
ἐπί
|
Prep acc
|
Upon
|
|
μεσης
|
N sg neut acc
|
of the middle
|
|
Πλατεια
|
N sg fem gen
|
of the Broad,
Flat Space
|
|
καὶ
|
Conj
|
and
|
|
α
|
Prep dat
|
in
|
|
μέσω
|
N sg neut dat
|
the middle
|
|
πολεὥς
|
N sg neut gen
|
of town
|
______________________
94. Pay attention, all
families of the nations, and observe! An extraordinary murder has taken place
in the center of Jerusalem, in the city devoted to God's law, in the city of
the Hebrews, in the city of the prophets, in the city thought of as just. And
who has been murdered? And who is the murderer? I am ashamed to give the
answer, but give it I must. For if this murder had taken place at night, or if
he had been slain in a desert place, it would be well to keep silent; but it
was in the middle of the main street, even in the center of the city, while all
were looking on, that the unjust murder of this just person took place.
95. And thus he was lifted up
upon the tree, and an inscription was affixed identifying the one who had been
murdered. Who was he? It is painful to tell, but it is more dreadful not to
tell. Therefore, hear and tremble because of him for whom the earth trembled.
96. The one who hung the
earth in space, is himself hanged; the one who fixed the heavens in place, is
himself impaled; the one who firmly fixed all things, is himself firmly fixed
to the tree. The Lord is insulted, God has been murdered, the King of Israel
has been destroyed by the right hand of Israel.
97. O frightful murder! O
unheard of injustice! The Lord is disfigured and he is not deemed worthy of a
cloak for his naked body, so that he might not be seen exposed. For this reason
the stars turned and fled, and the day grew quite dark, in order to hide the
naked person hanging on the tree, darkening not the body of the Lord, but the
eyes of men.
______________________
Cf. O.
Perler, “Méliton de Sardes, Sur la Pâque,” Source
Chrétiennes 123, 1966, 194f
(Français
-> Deutsch -> English)
96. He who hung the earth [in
its place] hangs there.
He who fixed the
heavens is fixed there.
He who made all
things fast is made fast upon the tree,
The Master has been
insulted,
God has been
murdered,
The King of Israel has been destroyed by an Israelitish hand.
97 O strange murder, strange
crime!
The Master has been
in an unseemly fashion,
His body naked, and
not even deemed worthy of a covering,
That his nakedness
might not be seen.
Therefore the lights
[of heaven] turned away, and the day darkened,
That it might hide him who was stripped upon the cross.
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