Philo had found for the elucidation of Scripture especially deep
meanings in the numbers four, six, and seven; but other
interpreters soon surpassed him. At the very outset this occult
power was used in ascertaining the canonical books of Scripture.
Josephus argued that, since there were twenty-two letters in the
Hebrew alphabet, there must be twenty-two sacred books in the Old
Testament; other Jewish authorities thought that there should be
twenty-four books, on account of the twenty-four watches in the
temple. St. Jerome wavered between the argument based upon the
twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet and that suggested by the
twenty-four elders in the Apocalypse. Hilary of Poitiers argued
that there must be twenty-four books, on account of the twenty-four
letters in the Greek alphabet. Origen found an argument for the
existence of exactly four gospels in the existence of just four
elements. Irenaeus insisted that there could be neither more nor
fewer than four gospels, since the earth has four quarters, the
air four winds, and the cherubim four faces; and he denounced those
who declined to accept this reasoning as "vain, ignorant, and
audacious.
Pages:
1216
1217
1218
1219
1220
1221
1222
1223
1224
1225
1226
1227
1228
1229
1230
1231
1232
1233
1234
1235
1236
1237
1238
1239
1240