Miscellanies 1.21.126
Summary: Clement interprets the seventy weeks: the temple rebuilt in seven weeks, Christ anointed within the sixty-two, and the last week ending with Nero and the destruction of Jerusalem under Vespasian.
Greek text · Stählin 2:78–79
Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἐν ἑπτὰ ἑβδομάσιν ᾠκοδομήθη ὁ ναός, τοῦτο φανερόν ἐστι· καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἔσδρᾳ γέγραπται, καὶ οὕτως ἐγένετο χριστὸς βασιλεὺς Ἰουδαίων ἡγούμενος πληρουμένων τῶν ἑπτὰ ἑβδομάδων ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἑξήκοντα δύο ἑβδομάσιν ἡσύχασεν ἅπασα ἡ Ἰουδαία καὶ ἐγένετο ἄνευ πολέμων, καὶ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Χριστός, ἅγιος τῶν ἁγίων, ἐλθὼν καὶ πληρώσας τὴν ὅρασιν καὶ τὸν προφήτην ἐχρίσθη τὴν σάρκα τῷ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ πνεύματι ἐν ταύταις ταῖς ἑξήκοντα δύο ἑβδομάσι, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ προφήτης. καὶ ἐν τῇ μιᾷ ἑβδομάδι, ἧς ἑβδομάδος τὸ ἥμισυ κατέσχεν Νέρων βασιλεύων καὶ ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ πόλει Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἔστησεν τὸ βδέλυγμα, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἡμίσει τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἀνῃρέθη καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ Ὄθων καὶ Γάλβας καὶ Οὐιτέλλιος, Οὐεσπεσιανὸς δὲ ἐκράτησε καὶ καθεῖλεν τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὸ ἅγιον ἠρήμωσεν. καὶ ὡς ταῦθʼ οὕτως ἔχει, τῷ γε συνιέναι δυναμένῳ δῆλον καθʼ ἃ καὶ ὁ προφήτης εἴρηκεν.
English · Claude translation
That the temple was built in seven weeks is clear; for it is written in Ezra. And so an anointed one became king of the Jews, their leader, when the seven weeks were completed in Jerusalem; and in the sixty-two weeks all Judea was at peace and was without wars; and our Lord Christ, the Holy of holies, having come and fulfilled the vision and the prophet, was anointed in his flesh by the Spirit of his Father within these sixty-two weeks, as the prophet said. And in the one week, half of which Nero held as king, he set up the abomination in the holy city of Jerusalem; and in the half of the week he was killed, and Otho, Galba, and Vitellius too; and Vespasian prevailed, destroyed Jerusalem, and made the sanctuary desolate. And that this is so is clear to anyone who can understand, according to what the prophet has said.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- This is one of the earliest Christian interpretations of Daniel's seventy weeks. The anointing of Christ's flesh by the Spirit refers to his baptism.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.21.126 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/21/126/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.21.126 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/21/126/).
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