Philonos Ioudaiou Syngrammata / Omnia Quae Extant Opera (1691 Greek)

For if the Creator had made all things together and at once, there would have been less order in things so beautifully created. For there is nothing beautiful in confused order. Order is the sequence and series of things preceding and following, if not in the works themselves, certainly in the intentions of the creators, if only it is ensured that they are certain and unconfused. Therefore, before all things, the Creator made in the intelligible world an incorporeal heaven and an invisible earth, and an idea of air and void. He called this darkness, being naturally black, and the void he called the abyss; for it is most deep and opens most widely. Then he made the incorporeal essence of water, and likewise of spirit, and finally, seventh and last, of light, which was again incorporeal and an intelligible model of the sun and of all the stars that were to be constituted in the heaven; and he deemed spirit and light worthy of privilege. This he named the Spirit of God, because C spirit contributes most to life, which proceeds from the Author, God. And he called the light "very good"; for this intelligible light is as much more luminous and splendid than the visible, I think, as the sun excels darkness, day the night, and as the mind, the ruler of the whole soul, excels the senses by which we discern things, and the eyes excel the remaining parts of the body. Furthermore, he calls that invisible and intelligible divine Word and Word of God the image of God; and that intelligible light the image of this, which was made the image of the divine Word, the interpreter of its own generation. It is a super-celestial star, the source of sensible stars, which one might not rashly call the "all-bright," from which the sun, moon, and the other stars, both fixed and wandering, draw for each according to its power the fitting splendors of that unmixed and pure light, which is obscured as soon as it turns from the intelligible to the sensible. For nothing in the sensible is pure. But that which was said, "Darkness was upon the abyss," is correctly stated. E For the air exists in a certain way above the void, since it has filled all that immense, deserted, and empty region which extends to us from the lunar sphere. Furthermore, after that intelligible light, which was made before the sun, shone forth, the opposing darkness receded, as God separated and divided it, for whom the contrarieties of things and their native struggles are clear. Therefore, so that they might not labor in perpetual sedition, and so that war might not prevail over peace in a world of confused order, he not only separated light from dark...

For if the Creator made all things at once, the things being beautifully created would have had no less order. For nothing is beautiful in disorder. Order is the sequence and series of certain things that precede and follow, if not in the effects, then in the intentions of the craftsmen; for in this way they were going to be perfected, unerring, and unconfused. Therefore, first, before the intelligible world, the Creator made an incorporeal heaven, and an invisible earth, and an idea of air and void. Of these, he named the one darkness, since air is black by nature; and the other, the abyss; for the void is most deep and open. Then the incorporeal essence of water and of spirit, and over all, as the seventh, light, which again was incorporeal and an intelligible model of the sun and of all things that were to be constituted as light-bearing stars in the heaven. And the spirit and the light were deemed worthy of privilege. The one he named the Spirit of God, because spirit is most vital; and God is the cause of life. The other he named "light," because it is exceedingly good. For the intelligible is so much more luminous and bright than the visible, just as much as the sun, I think, excels darkness, and day the night; and as the mind, the ruler of the whole soul, excels the sensible criteria, and the eyes excel the body. And he calls the invisible and intelligible divine Word and the Word of God the image of God; and the intelligible light the image of this, which became the image of the divine Word that interpreted its generation. It is a super-celestial star, the source of the sensible stars, which one might not inappropriately call the "all-bright," from which the sun and the moon and the other planets, both wandering and fixed, draw for each according to its power the appropriate splendors of that unmixed and pure light, which is darkened when it begins to turn in the transformation from the intelligible to the sensible. For nothing in the realm of sense is pure. But it is also well said that "darkness was upon the abyss." For in a certain way, the air is above the void, since it has stepped upon and filled all the vast, deserted, and empty space, extending to us from the regions of the moon. After the shining forth of that intelligible light, which was made before the sun, the opposing darkness withdrew, as God separated and divided them from one another, who well knows the contrarieties and their natural struggle. In order, therefore, that they might not always clash and rebel, and that war might prevail instead of peace, placing disorder in the world, he not only separated light from darkness...