Letter 81

To the Same Person. Canaan [the son of Ham, Genesis 9] bears the figure of the people of the unbelieving Jews, who also mocked Christ when he had been stripped naked, and scourged him through Pilate and dishonored him, and so on. But Shem and Japheth point with the finger to those around Joseph [of Arimathea], who wrapped the body of the Savior and laid it in the new tomb. They further hint also at Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, and the others, as many as were eager to tend the all-holy body and to treat it with honor.

Τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν ἀπίστων Ἰουδαίων πρόσωπον φέρει ὁ Χαναὰμ, ὅστις καὶ γυμνωθέντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατεγέλασεν, ἐφραγέλλωσέ τε διὰ τοῦ Πιλάτου καὶ ἠτίμωσε, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Σὴμ δὲ καὶ Ἰάφεθ δακτυλοδεικτοῦσι τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἐντυλίξαντα τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Σωτῆρος, καὶ ἐναποθέμενον τῷ νεαφῷ μνήματι. Ἔτι τε αἰνίττονται καὶ Νικόδημον τὸν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ διδάσκαλον, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους, ὅσοι περιέπειν τὸ πανάγιον σῶμα καὶ ἐν τιμῇ ποιεῖσθαι ἐσπούδαζον.