4. The meaning appears to be that mechanically pounded grit is after all visible, however small it be pounded, but dried-up water is quite invisible.
5. Syr. [Syriac] : see Against. Bardaisan LXXXI. (p. lxxvii).
6. The MS. has [Syriac bits], quite legible in a good light. Evidently the feggoka&toxos ( Splenditenens ) was named. We should have expected [Syriac] in the gap (Cumont, Eecherches, i, p. 22), but the traces are more like [Syriac].
7. Two words illegible.
8. For the doctrine of the Bowl or Vortex ( krath&r ), see Mead's Thrice-greatest Hermes, vol. i, pp. 414 f., 454 : also Macrobius, Somn. Scip. i 12.
9. Lit. ' of the Sun-rising.'
10. I.e. its diametrically opposite Element.
11. I understand the word here translated 'intention' to refer to the Elements themselves, To use S. Paul's terminology, the fro&nhma of Fire, viz. 'to kindle,' is essentially distinct from that of Water, viz. 'to make wet.'
12. It is a pity that we do not know what Bardaisan said ! The meaning seems to be that substances that can be divided and separated can be reconcentrated and regrouped.
13. The MS. has ' the name of the name of '—probably by a mere accident of transcription.
14. Teshri is October and Marheshwan November. These are the old Aramaic names : the Edessenes generally called October 'Teshri I', and November 'Teshri II.'
15. Lit. ' touch.'
This text was transcribed by Roger Pearse, 12th September 2002. All material on this page is in the public domain - copy freely.
Greek text is rendered using the Scholars Press SPIonic font, free from here .