{"slug":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-azymis","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-azymis","title":"De azymis","title_source":"De azymis","author":"Athanasius the Great of Alexandria","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:34:00Z","cost_usd":0.002737},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-azymis","work_id":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-azymis","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/De%20azymis.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":4,"english_words":1108,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":4431,"commentary_units":24,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":1,"ambiguities":7,"work_notes":6,"external_links":1,"timeline":6},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-azymis","abstract":"This treatise, attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria, argues against the use of unleavened bread (azymes) in the Eucharist, a key point of contention between Greek and Latin Christians. It is polemical in tone, directed at an unnamed opponent, and survives in Greek manuscripts. The work's attribution to Athanasius is uncertain; it is not included in standard collections of his genuine writings. Internal references to the Quartodeciman controversy and the Council of Nicaea suggest a post-325 date, but style and theology may indicate a later, possibly 5th-century, origin. The treatise was cited in medieval Latin debates on the azymes, particularly during the Photian schism and the 11th-century East-West controversy, though its Athanasian authorship was questioned.","historical_context":"The work is set in the context of the early Christian debates over the proper bread for the Eucharist, which became a major point of division between the Greek East and Latin West. The Quartodeciman controversy (2nd–4th centuries) and the Council of Nicaea (325) are referenced, but the treatise's anti-Latin polemic and theological concerns (e.g., the use of leaven to symbolize Christ's ensouled body) align more with later developments, such as the Photian schism (9th century) and the 11th-century East-West schism. The text survives in Greek manuscripts, but its transmission is unclear; it is not part of the standard Athanasian corpus (e.g., Migne, Berlin Academy). The edition used (khazarzar) lacks a critical apparatus, and the work's style suggests a post-4th-century origin, possibly from a monastic or polemical circle in the Byzantine East.","significance":"The treatise is significant as a witness to the evolving Eucharistic controversies between Eastern and Western Christianity, particularly the azymes debate. It illustrates how later polemicists used the authority of Athanasius to bolster their arguments, even though the work is likely spurious. Its citation in medieval Latin debates shows its enduring influence in shaping theological positions on the Eucharist.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 325","event":"Council of Nicaea; referenced in the treatise."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Probable composition date, based on style and theology."},{"date":"9th c.","event":"Photian schism; treatise cited in azymes debates."},{"date":"11th c.","event":"East-West schism; treatise used in anti-Latin polemic."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Manuscript transmission in Greek; cited by Latin authors."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Edition by khazarzar; attribution questioned by scholars."}],"relations":[{"work":"Athanasius, Festal Letters","relation":"Attributed to same author, but authenticity disputed.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Council of Nicaea (325)","relation":"Referenced in the treatise.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Quartodeciman controversy","relation":"Referenced as background.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Apollinarius of Laodicea","relation":"Cited as a heretic; used to contrast leavened/azyme.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Photian schism","relation":"Later context where treatise was cited.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:Apollinarism","label":"Apollinarism","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollinarism","reason":"Heresy cited in the treatise."}],"cautions":["Attribution to Athanasius is uncertain; likely spurious.","Date is unknown; internal references suggest post-325, but style indicates 5th century or later.","Manuscript tradition is unclear; edition lacks critical apparatus.","Anti-Latin polemic may reflect later theological developments rather than 4th-century thought."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000482,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:34:00Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/De%20azymis.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-azymis","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":4,"translated":4,"commentary_passages":4,"commentary_units":24,"english_words":1108,"source_letters":4416,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The treatise argues against the use of unleavened bread in the Eucharist, a point of contention between Greek and Latin Christians. It is polemical in tone and directed at an unnamed opponent.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work survives in Greek manuscripts, but its attribution to Athanasius is uncertain. It is not included in standard collections of his genuine writings, such as those by Migne or the Berlin Academy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Internal references to the Quartodeciman controversy and the Council of Nicaea suggest a date after 325, but the work's style and theology may indicate a later, possibly 5th-century, origin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The treatise was cited in medieval Latin debates on the azymes, particularly during the Photian schism and the 11th-century East-West controversy, though its Athanasian authorship was questioned.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This edition does not provide a critical apparatus for variant readings or a full stemma of the manuscript tradition. The Greek text is based on a single modern edition (khazarzar) without collation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The work's anti-Latin polemic may reflect later theological developments rather than 4th-century Alexandrian thought. Readers should treat its attribution to Athanasius as doubtful.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 4 narrative."},{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","text":"1 scriptural phrase match(es) noted: Psalm 81:3."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":4},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΩΝ ΑΖΥΜΩΝ.\n\nἘν τρισὶν ὕλαις ἐτέλουν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τὸ Πάσχα καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἀρεταῖς· καὶ ἐν τρισὶ μάρτυρσι κατὰ τὴν τάξιν τοῦ Νόμου. Καὶ αἱ μὲν τρεῖς ὕλαι ὁ ἀμνὸς ἦσαν, τὰ ἄζυμα καὶ ἡ πικραλίς· αἱ δὲ τρεῖς ἀρεταὶ, περιεζωσμένοι, καὶ ὑποδήματα εἰς τοὺς πόδας, καὶ βακτηρίαν ἐν ταῖς χερσίν. Οἱ δὲ τρεῖς μάρτυρες, γραμματεῖς ἐπὶ τῇ τραπέζῃ ἑστῶτες, καὶ ἀκριβῶς γινώσκοντες τὴν τῆς σελήνης ἀπόχυσιν, διὰ ποτηρίου τινὸς σαλευομένου καὶ σημαινομένου· σαλπίζοντος εὐθὺς τοῦ ἱερέως ὅτι Πάσχα ἐστὶ Κυρίου· καὶ λοιπὸν μετὰ τὸ ἄκουσμα τῆς φωνῆς τῆς σάλπιγγος, ἐποίουν τὴν ζύμην ἄνευ ἄρτου ἡμέρας ζʹ. Πρὸ δὲ τοῦ σημείου τοῦ ποτηρίου καὶ τῆς σάλπιγγος, οὐκ εἶχον ἐξουσίαν ἑτοιμάσαι ἡμέρας ἐπτὰ ἀμνὸν, ἢ ἄζυμον, ἢ πικρίδα· οὕτω γάρ φησι καὶ ὁ μέγας Δαυΐδ· Σαλπίσατε ἐν Νεομηνίᾳ σάλπιγγι. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐν τῇ εʹ ἡμέρᾳ ἐποίησε τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν ἁγίων μυστηρίων ὥρᾳ τῆς νυκτὸς ζʹ· ἡ δὲ εἴσοδος τῶν ἀζυμοφάγων ἐγένετο Παρασκευῇ ἑσπέρας μετὰ τὸ ταφῆναι τὸν Κύριον. Διὰ τοῦτο οἱ δʹ εὐαγγελισταὶ ἄρτον τέλειον λέγουσι παραδοῦναι τὸν Κύριον ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις μυστηρίοις καὶ οὐκ ἄζυμον· ἵνα πιστώσηται ὅτι τέλειον σῶμα ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου· λέγω δὲ ἔμψυχον καὶ ἔννουν· καὶ οὐ καθάπερ ὁ αἱρετικὸς Ἀπολλινάριος ἔλεγεν, ὅτι σῶμα μόνον ἀνελάβετο· ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ἄρτον τελειούμενον φαμεν τὸν δι' ἀλεύρου καὶ ζύμης καὶ ἅλατος συνεστηκότα· καθάπερ σώματι ὁ πνευματικὸς, καὶ νοΐ· σῶμα γὰρ, χωρὶς πνοῆς, νεκρόν ἐστι· καὶ τὸ ἄζυμον μόνον μὴ ἔχον ζύμην νεκρόν ἐστι καὶ οὐ ζωτικὸς ἄρτος·","english":"Of Saint Athanasius, On the Azymes.\n\nThe Jews celebrated Passover with three materials and with three virtues, and with three witnesses according to the order of the Law. The three materials were the lamb, the azymes, and the bitter herb; the three virtues were being girded, having sandals on the feet, and holding a staff in the hands. The three witnesses were scribes standing at the table, precisely knowing the waning of the moon, by means of a certain cup being shaken and signaled; the priest immediately blowing the trumpet that it is the Passover of the Lord; and thereafter, after hearing the sound of the trumpet, they made the leaven without bread for seven days. But before the sign of the cup and the trumpet, they had no authority to prepare for seven days a lamb, or azyme, or bitter herb; for thus also the great David says: Blow the trumpet at the new moon. Our Lord Jesus Christ on the fifth day made the tradition of the holy mysteries at the seventh hour of the night; but the entry of the azyme-eaters occurred on the evening of the Preparation after the Lord was buried. For this reason the four evangelists say that the Lord handed over complete bread in the holy mysteries and not azyme; so that he might confirm that it is a complete body from the holy Virgin; I mean ensouled and endowed with mind; and not as the heretic Apollinarius said, that he assumed only a body; but we say that bread perfected is that which consists of flour and leaven and salt; just as in the body the spiritual and mind; for a body without breath is dead; and the azyme alone, not having leaven, is dead and not living bread.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Περί των Αζύμων","severity":"info","text":"This treatise against the use of unleavened bread (azymes) in the Eucharist is attributed to Athanasius but is likely spurious, reflecting later anti-Azymite polemic in the Greek East.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Σαλπίσατε ἐν Νεομηνίᾳ σάλπιγγι","severity":"info","text":"The citation of David (Ps 81:3 LXX) is adapted: the psalm reads 'Σαλπίσατε ἐν νεομηνίᾳ σάλπιγγι' (Blow the trumpet at the new moon), used here to link the Jewish Passover proclamation to the lunar calendar.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἄζυμον","severity":"info","text":"Azymes (unleavened bread) are the subject of the treatise; the author contrasts them with 'complete bread' (ἄρτον τέλειον) made with leaven, arguing that leaven symbolizes the soul and life.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀπολλινάριος","severity":"info","text":"Apollinarius of Laodicea (c. 310–390) is cited as a heretic who denied Christ's full humanity; the author uses the leavened/azyme contrast to argue for Christ's ensouled body, a post-Athanasian theological concern.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"τρεῖς","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a triadic structure (three materials, three virtues, three witnesses) typical of patristic exegesis, organizing Jewish Passover practices as a typological foil for Christian Eucharist.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"εʹ ἡμέρᾳ","severity":"info","text":"The author places Christ's institution of the Eucharist on the fifth day (Thursday) at the seventh hour of the night, and the entry of azyme-eaters on Friday evening after the burial, reflecting a specific liturgical chronology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is a later composition, not certainly by Athanasius; the reference to Apollinarius suggests a date after the late 4th century. The phrase 'ἡ δὲ εἴσοδος τῶν ἀζυμοφάγων' is ambiguous: it may refer to the Jewish practice of eating azymes or to a Christian group."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","ref":"Psalm 81:3","text":"The English carries the scriptural phrase “blow the trumpet”, which matches Psalm 81:3. The match is on the English draft; check the Coptic before quoting the verse."}]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ἐπειδὴ ἡ ζύμη ζωὴν δίδωσι τῷ φυράματι καὶ ἕνωσιν καθάπερ τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ σώματι, καὶ τὸ ἅλας τῷ νῷ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τελοῦμεν τὸ μυστήριον δι' ἄρτου τελειουμένου, ἵνα μὴ τῇ βλασφημίᾳ τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς Ἀπολλιναρίου περιπέσωμεν. Γίνεται δὲ ἡ τοῦ φέγγους ἀπόχυσις, ἐν ἡμέραις τέσσαρσι καὶ δέκα ἥμισυ καὶ ὥραις τρισίν· εἰς δὲ τὸ πάθος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπερέβην ἕκτην καὶ δεκάτην ἡμέραν· ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ ὅτι ἀληθινός ἐστι καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος. Ἰστέον οὖν ὡς αἰῶνι τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων αὐτοῦ τὴν σεμίδαλιν τῶν Ἀζύμων ἐσθίειν ἢ προσφέρειν οὐδεμία παρέλαβεν Ἐκκλησία· ἐπεὶ δὲ οὔτε ὁ Χριστὸς αὐτὸς κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάθους αὐτοῦ τὸ νομικὸν ἔφαγε Πάσχα, ἄκουε Ἰωάννου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ λέγοντος· Πρὸ δὲ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ Πάσχα, εἰδὼς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι ἐλήλυθεν αὐτοῦ ἡ ὥρα ἵνα μεταβῇ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα,... καὶ δείπνου γενομένου τοῦ Διαβόλου ἤδη βεβληκότος εἰς τὴν καρδίαν Ἰούδα Σίμωνος Ἰσκαριώτου ἵνα αὐτὸν παραδῷ· καὶ ὅτε, φησὶν, ἐγένετο ἡ ὥρα, τουτέστιν ὅτε παρέστη ὁ καιρὸς τοῦ προδοῦναι αὐτὸν, ἀνέπεσαν καὶ οἱ δώδεκα ἀπόστολοι σὺν αὐτῷ· καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς· Ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐπεθύμησα τοῦτο τὸ Πάσχα φαγεῖν μεθ' ὑμῶν πρὸ τοῦ με παθεῖν. Ὁρᾷς, Πρὸ τοῦ με παθεῖν φησίν· ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔδει παθεῖν αὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ Πάσχα τοῦ νομικοῦ καθ' ἣν καὶ ὁ ἀμνὸς παρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐθύετο, ἔμελλε δὲ γενέσθαι τὸ πάθος παρὰ τῶν θεοκτόνων Παρασκευῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὡς αὖθίς φησιν ὁ Ἰωάννης·","english":"the leaven gives life to the dough and unity, just as the spirit does to the body, and salt to the mind, and for this reason we celebrate the mystery with perfected bread, so that we may not fall into the blasphemy of the impious Apollinarius. The waning of the moon occurs in fourteen and a half days and three hours; but for the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, it passed the sixteenth day, so that it might bear witness that he is true and eternal life. It must be known, therefore, that no Church received the custom of eating or offering the fine flour of the Azymes in the time of Christ and his holy apostles. Since neither did Christ himself eat the legal Passover at the time of his passion, listen to John the Evangelist saying: Before the feast of Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father,... and after supper, the Devil having already cast into the heart of Judas Simon Iscariot to betray him; and when, he says, the hour came, that is, when the time for betraying him arrived, the twelve apostles also reclined with him; and he said to them: I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. You see, he says, Before I suffer. Since, therefore, he was to suffer on the day of the legal Passover, on which the lamb was also sacrificed by the Jews, and the passion was to take place at the hands of the deicides on the day of Preparation, as John again says:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ζύμη","severity":"info","text":"Leaven (ζύμη) is contrasted with azymes; the author argues leaven gives life and unity, paralleling spirit to body and salt to mind.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀπολλιναρίου","severity":"info","text":"Apollinarius (c. 310–390) taught that Christ had a human body but a divine mind, a view condemned as blasphemous; the author links azyme use to avoiding this heresy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰωάννου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The author cites John the Evangelist, paraphrasing John 13:1–2 and 13:21–26, to argue Christ did not eat the legal Passover at the time of his passion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"ἡμέραις τέσσαρσι καὶ δέκα ἥμισυ καὶ ὥραις τρισίν","severity":"info","text":"The lunar waning is given as 14.5 days and 3 hours; the passion is said to have passed the 16th day, aligning with a lunar calculation to assert Christ's true and eternal life.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"οὐδεμία παρέλαβεν Ἐκκλησία","severity":"info","text":"The author claims no Church received the custom of eating or offering azyme fine flour in the time of Christ and the apostles, arguing against azyme practice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ὑπερέβην ἕκτην καὶ δεκάτην ἡμέραν","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'it passed the sixteenth day' is ambiguous: it may refer to the moon's phase or the date of the passion; the intended lunar or calendar reference is unclear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ὑπερέβην ἕκτην καὶ δεκάτην ἡμέραν' could mean the moon passed the 16th day or the passion occurred after the 16th; the exact calendrical system is not specified.","The citation of John is a paraphrase, not a direct quotation; the exact verses intended are not given."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Ἐπεὶ Παρασκευὴ ἦν, ἦν γὰρ μεγάλη ἡμέρα ἐκείνη τοῦ Σαββάτου ἐν ᾗ τηνικαῦτα καὶ ἡ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτη τῆς σελήνης, κατὰ τὸν πρῶτον μῆνα, ἐν τῷ πεντακοσιοστῷ τριακοστῷ ἔτει ἐκπεσεῖν ἔτυχεν, ἵνα μὴ παραδοθεὶς οὐ φθάσῃ τὸ οἰκεῖον Πάσχα τοῖς μαθηταῖς παραδοῦναι, ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ ἀναπεσὼν ὀψὲ, καὶ βραδὺ περὶ τὴν νύκτα κατὰ τὴν ὀψίαν, δηλονότι τῆς εʹ, ἔφαγε μὲν, ἀλλὰ τὸ οἰκεῖον Πάσχα πρὸ τῆς ἑορτῆς τῶν Ἀζύμων· καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ ἀναπεσεῖν αὐτόν· οὐδὲ γὰρ νενομοθετημένον· ἐπειδὴ ἱσταμένους καὶ\n\nπεριεζωσμένους καὶ ὑποδεδεμένους ἐσθίειν τὸ Πάσχα μετὰ σπουδῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ χεῖρας τὴν βακτηρίαν ἔχοντας τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὁ νόμος ἐκέλευε· κατέπαυσε μὲν τοῖς χρόνοις τοῦ οἰκείου κηρύγματος τὸ Πάσχα τὸ νομικὸν, παρέδωκε δὲ τὸ οἰκεῖον διὰ τοῦ δείπνου· διὸ μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι. λαβὼν ἄρτον, καὶ κλάσας, παρέδωκε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις τὸ μυστήριον τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης αὐτοῦ καὶ Λειτουργίας· ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ δηλονότι τῆς εʹ, ἐν ᾗ παρεδόθη. Ἰστέον δ' ὅτι καθ' ἣν ὥραν ἐσταύρωσαν οἱ θεοκτόνοι τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης, κατ' αὐτὴν καὶ τὸν ἀμνὸν θύσαντες, ἔφαγον τὸ Πάσχα τὸ νομικόν· καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ εἰπεῖν τὸν εὐαγγελιστὴν Ἰωάννην· ὅτι αὐτοὶ οὐκ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ Πραιτώριον ἵνα μὴ μιανθῶσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα φάγωσι τὸ Πάσχα· ὥστε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ μετὰ τοῦ ἀμνοῦ ἐτύθη ὁ Χριστός· ἀλλὰ τί φησιν ὁ Λουκᾶς; ἄρτον εἶπεν λαβεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ οὐκ ἄζυμον· οὐ γὰρ ἔτι ἦν, πέμπτης οὔσης τηνικαῦτα ἡμέρας· τρισκαιδεκάτη ἦν ἔτι ἡ σελήνη καὶ οὐκ ἦσαν ἄζυμα, διὰ τὸ μήπω γενέσθαι· τῇ ιεʹ γὰρ τῆς σελήνης ἦν νενομοθετημένον ἐσθίειν τὰ ἄζυμα·","english":"Since it was Friday, for that great day of the Sabbath was the one on which the fourteenth of the moon happened to fall, according to the first month, in the five hundred and thirtieth year, so that, not having been betrayed, he might not arrive in time to deliver his own Passover to his disciples, having reclined at the supper late, and slowly toward the night at the evening, clearly of the fifth day, he ate, but his own Passover before the feast of the Azymes; and this is clear from his having reclined; for it was not prescribed, since the law commanded the Jews to eat the Passover standing, girded, shod, and with haste, holding the staff in their hands; he abolished the legal Passover in the times of his own proclamation, and delivered his own through the supper; therefore after supping, taking bread and breaking it, he delivered to the apostles the mystery of his New Testament and Liturgy; clearly in the night of the fifth day, on which he was betrayed. And it is to be known that at the same hour at which the deicides crucified the Lord of glory, at that same hour, having sacrificed the lamb, they ate the legal Passover; and this is clear from the evangelist John saying that they did not enter the Praetorium to avoid being defiled, but to eat the Passover; so that on one day Christ was sacrificed together with the lamb; but what does Luke say? He said that Christ took bread and not azymes; for it was not yet, since it was the fifth day at that time; the moon was still at the thirteenth, and there were no azymes, because they had not yet been made; for it was prescribed to eat the azymes on the fifteenth of the moon.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"πεντακοσιοστῷ τριακοστῷ ἔτει","severity":"info","text":"The 530th year likely refers to the era of the Greek calendar (Seleucid era) or the Alexandrian world era, placing the Passion in a specific chronological framework.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Πάσχα","severity":"info","text":"Here 'Πάσχα' is used for both the Jewish Passover and Christ's own paschal mystery, a deliberate ambiguity that Athanasius exploits to contrast the legal and new rites.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰωάννην","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius cites John's Gospel (likely 18:28) to argue that the Jews ate the Passover lamb at the same hour Christ was crucified, synchronizing the two sacrifices.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Λουκᾶς","severity":"info","text":"Luke's Gospel (22:19) is invoked to show Christ took 'bread' (ἄρτον) not 'azymes' (ἄζυμον), supporting the argument that the Last Supper preceded the Feast of Unleavened Bread.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀναπεσεῖν","severity":"info","text":"The detail that Christ 'reclined' (ἀναπεσεῖν) at supper is contrasted with Jewish practice of standing, girded, and shod, as prescribed by the law for eating the Passover.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"θεοκτόνοι","severity":"caution","text":"The term 'deicides' (θεοκτόνοι) is a strong anti-Jewish polemic, reflecting later Christian reception that blames Jews collectively for Christ's death; this may color the historical argument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The year '530' is ambiguous: it may refer to the Seleucid era (c. AD 218/219) or the Alexandrian era (c. AD 536/537), neither matching the conventional date of the Passion; the reading taken is that Athanasius uses a non-standard chronology.","The phrase 'τῆς εʹ' (the fifth day) is ambiguous: it could mean Thursday (counting from Sunday) or Friday (counting from Monday); the reading taken is Thursday, consistent with the narrative of the Last Supper."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"τῇ δὲ ιδʹ τὸν ἀμνὸν καὶ μόνον θύεσθαι· διὸ καὶ τῇ μὲν ιδʹ τοῦ πρώτου μηνὸς τῆς σελήνης Πάσχα προσαγορεύει ὁ νόμος· τῇ δὲ ιεʹ πρῶτον Σάββατον ὀνομάζει· εἰ οὖν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐτύθη κατὰ τὴν ιδʹ τῆς σελήνης κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς Παρασκευῆς, τὸ δὲ Σάββατον ἦν τῶν Ἀζύμων ἑορτὴ, πότε τὰ ἄζυμα ἔφαγε; καὶ πότε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ταῦτα ἐν τῇ Καινῇ Διαθήκῃ παρέδωκεν; ὅτι λέγουσιν οἱ μιμηταὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι τὰ ἄζυμα παρὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ποιεῖν παρελάβομεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ Πάσχα τὸ νομικὸν κατὰ τὸν χρόνον ἐκεῖνον φαγεῖν ἔφθασεν ὁ Χριστός· ὅτι δὲ οὕτως ἔχει τὸ ἀληθὲς, πρὸς πίστωσιν τῶν εἰρημένων, ἄκουσον καὶ τῆς νομοθεσίας Μωϋσέως ᾗ περὶ τοῦ Πάσχα καὶ τῶν Ἀζύμων νενομοθέτηκεν· Αὗται, φησὶν, αἱ ἑορταὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ κληταὶ ἅγιαι, ἃς καλέσετε αὐτὰς ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς αὐτῶν. Ἐν τῷ αʹ μηνὶ ἐν τῇ ιδʹ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς, ἀναμέσον τῶν ἑσπερινῶν, Πάσχα τῷ Κυρίῳ. Καὶ ἐν τῇ ιεʹ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς τούτου ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἀζύμων τῷ Κυρίῳ· ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἄζυμα ἔδεσθε. Ἰδοὺ μανθάνεις καὶ ἐκ τῆς νομοθεσίας Μωϋσέως, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν τὰ ἄζυμα· καὶ γὰρ μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν εʹ παρέδωκεν ὁ Χριστὸς διὰ τῆς τοῦ ἄρτου κλάσεως τὸ τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης μυστήριον· ἐπειδὴ ἄζυμα ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ οὐκ ἦσαν...","english":"On the fourteenth the lamb alone was to be sacrificed; therefore the law calls the fourteenth of the first month of the moon Passover, and the fifteenth it first calls Sabbath. If then Christ was sacrificed on the fourteenth of the moon on the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was the feast of the Azymes, when did he eat the azymes? And when did he deliver these to the apostles in the New Testament? For the imitators of the Jews say that we received the azymes from the apostles to make. For Christ did not even have time to eat the legal Passover at that time. And that this is the truth, for confirmation of what has been said, hear also the legislation of Moses which he enacted concerning Passover and the Azymes: \"These,\" he says, \"are the feasts called holy to the Lord, which you shall call in their seasons. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, Passover to the Lord. And on the fifteenth day of this month, feast of the Azymes to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat azymes.\" Behold, you learn even from the legislation of Moses that the azymes were not; for after the supper on the fifth day Christ delivered the mystery of the New Testament through the breaking of the bread, since azymes were not on that day...","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Πάσχα","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term Πάσχα (Passover) here refers to the Jewish sacrificial meal on the 14th of Nisan, distinct from the later Christian feast.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἄζυμα","severity":"info","text":"Ἄζυμα (azymes, unleavened bread) denotes the Jewish festival beginning on the 15th of Nisan, which Athanasius argues Christ could not have observed.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"νομοθεσίας Μωϋσέως","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius cites a Mosaic law (likely from Leviticus 23:5-6 or Exodus 12) distinguishing Passover on the 14th from the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the 15th.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Παρασκευῆς","severity":"info","text":"Παρασκευή (Preparation) is Friday, the day of Christ's crucifixion in the Gospel chronology, which Athanasius aligns with the 14th of the moon.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage uses a rhetorical question sequence to challenge opponents, then supports the argument with a direct quotation of Mosaic legislation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"οἱ μιμηταὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'imitators of the Jews' polemically targets Christian groups (possibly Quartodecimans) who observed Passover on the 14th, a practice Athanasius rejects.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact Mosaic source quoted is not identified; the text may conflate Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23.","The phrase 'μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν εʹ' is ambiguous: 'the fifth day' could mean Thursday or the fifth day of the week, but the context suggests Thursday."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}