Demonstrations

⁹ And again (God) said to him:— You were with the Cherub who was anointed and overshadowing. For the king, who was anointed with the holy oil, was called a Cherub. And he was overshadowing all his people, as Jeremiah said:— The anointed of the Lord is the breath of our nostrils, he of whom we said that in his shadow shall we live among the Gentiles. For they were sitting in the shadow of the king, while he was standing at their head. And when the crown of their head fell, they were without shade.

And if any one should say that this word is spoken concerning Christ, let him receive that which I write for him without disputation, and thus he will be persuaded that it was said with reference to the king. For Jeremiah said in behalf of the people:— Woe unto us, for the crown of our head has fallen! But Christ has not fallen, because He rose again the third day. For the king fell from the house of Judah, and never again was their kingdom set up. And as for that He said again:— I will destroy the overshadowing Cherub. For the Cherub that He will destroy is Nebuchadnezzar, as it is written:— He performed a work in Tyre, and there was given him by Tyre no hire for his host, and in return for the work of Tyre there was given him the land of Egypt. And why was hire not given by Tyre to Nebuchadnezzar?

Clearly because its wealth went away in the sea, so that Nebuchadnezzar did not receive it. And at that time He destroyed the overshadowing Cherub, which is Nebuchadnezzar. For there are two Cherubs, one anointed and overshadowing, and one overshadowing but not anointed. For He said above:— You were with the Cherub anointed and overshadowing. And lower down He said:— I will destroy you the overshadowing Cherub; and did not say “anointed.” For Nebuchadnezzar was not anointed; but David and Solomon were, and the other kings who arose after them.

And how was Nebuchadnezzar called overshadowing? Clearly on account of the vision of the tree, when he saw a tree in the midst of the earth, beneath which dwelt all the beasts of the wilderness and on its branches dwelt all the birds of heaven, and from it all flesh was fed. When Daniel interpreted his dream to him, Daniel said to him:— You are the tree, that tree which you saw in the midst of the earth and beneath you dwell all the nations. On this account he was the overshadowing Cherub; who destroyed the Prince of Tyre, because he rejoiced over the children of Israel, for that they were carried away captive from their land, and because his heart was exalted.

This Tyre also lay waste seventy years like Jerusalem which sat in desolation seventy years. For Isaiah said concerning it:— Tyre shall wander seventy years, as the days of one king, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms that are upon the face of the earth.