ON ST. MIRIAM.
CommentaryMary, sister of Moses and Aaron (S.) Eleazar, son of Aaron (S.) Phinehas, grandson of Aaron (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR J. B. S.
We subjoin these three to Aaron, from the series in which we found them ordered in the cited catalogue, thence, unless I am greatly mistaken, by Greven, and from this by Canisius reckoned among the Usuardine additions, in these words: Of Mary, sister of Moses and Aaron. They are variously commemorated by the Latins and Greeks. Of Eleazar son of Aaron. And of Phinehas, his grandson. These are of the number of those Saints whom, with the freer license of the more recent Martyrographers gradually growing strong, we said were inserted into our Fasti. Indeed among no ancient or classical authors, nor even in any supplements of Usuard that I have seen, is their memory celebrated, except in those of Greven and Canisius already cited alone. Of them there is nothing in the Coptic Fasti, unless Phinehas, who is there placed on XII July, be taken for Phinees. In the Menaea Mary is not treated: but Eleazar and Phinehas are commemorated together on 11 September without any elogium. But Phinehas, the same one, I think, of whom there is here speech, adorned with the singular title of "just," is honored with this distich on XII March: "Phinehas stood, but near to God a propitiation for us, loosing the breaking of the soul." As if it said, Phinehas received into heaven, that he might be a propitiation for healing the wounds of the soul. In Volume 11 of March page 104 he is referred with his father to II September: Mary is by others connected with Moses on IV September, but we here, following Peter's Catalogue, will subjoin the elogia of the three aforetitled in order.
[2] He fitted to each separately Mary the prophetess, sister of Aaron and Moses, is not undeservedly counted by Josephus within the number of the holy mothers of the old Law, because, as the sacred Scripture, Exodus 15, seems to intimate, just as Moses among the male sons of Israel, so also Mary among the women, according to her measure, obtained leadership, from which alone she seems to have been sanctified. For it was not fitting that anyone but a holy person should preside over so great a people in either sex. Whence also, after Pharaoh had been submerged in the Red Sea with all his army, Moses having composed the song of hexameter verses, namely "Let us sing to the Lord," and having first sung it with the men, Mary then, leading the chorus of women, taking up the musical timbrel, repeated that same song, and gave praises to the Lord for the victory. But when after some years, as is had in Numbers 12, while the children of Israel were in the desert, in the place which is called Hazeroth, both Aaron and Mary had murmured against Moses, and had boasted themselves to him of equal holiness; the Lord commanding, the three of them approached the door of the tabernacle: to whom God appeared in a cloud of majesty, and struck Mary with leprosy. Who however after seven days, Moses praying for her and doing penance, was healed, and Aaron begged pardon of the Lord for the affront. But in the 40th year of the going-out of the children of Israel from Egypt, the people still passing through the desert, Mary died in Cades, and was buried on Mount Sin. But on what day she fell asleep is not expressed, therefore her memory is coupled to Aaron her brother. These things in Numbers 20, and other places as above.
[3] Eleazar the priest, son of Aaron, succeeded his father in the priesthood, he fitted the elogium as was said above. For he, as is had in the book of Joshua in several places, crossed the Jordan with Joshua leader of the people, acquired the promised land, and divided it by lots among the twelve Tribes of the children of Israel, by the command of God; offered sacrifices for the people according to the law given by God, and ministered continually in the tabernacle of the Lord with his sons; and after the death of Moses for a short time governed the people. And after this, full of holiness, he rested in peace, and was buried in Gibeah, which had been given to him and his sons on Mount Ephraim. Let the curious reader see what St. Jerome relates of this tomb in the life of St. Paula on XXVI January number 17, page 716. The elogium continues: He, although not expressly, yet quite tacitly is numbered among the holy Fathers, Ecclesiasticus 45, where, the praises of his father being premised, Phinehas his son is named third in glory, so that thus among the glorious Priests, the first and third are expressly, but the second tacitly, understood to be numbered. The words of Ecclesiasticus celebrate Moses first: Beloved of God and men…. Then: He made Aaron exalted, his brother, and like to himself, of the tribe of Levi…. Phinehas son of Eleazar is third in glory, by imitating him in the fear of the Lord, etc. Whether these things sufficiently agree with the words of the elogium, let others see; now Phinehas himself is to be treated.
[4] Peter in the Catalogue. Phinehas the priest, successor and son of Eleazar, in Ecclesiasticus chapter 45 and 1 Maccabees 2, is commemorated among the holy Fathers of the Old Testament. Of whom that memorable thing is had in Numbers 25, that when the people of Israel tarried in Shittim, and many of them had fornicated with the daughters of Moab, and at their suggestion had offered sacrifices to Baal-peor their god, and Moses reproved them of the fault, Zambri prince of the tribe of Simeon, who had taken the daughter of a certain Midianite to wife by name Cozbi, professing before all that he had known a foreigner, and had worshiped idols, and was not subject to the law which Moses had imposed on the people, and while all the people looked on and wept, entered the woman's tent, and Phinehas rising, and snatching a dagger, entered after him into the brothel, and pierced both of them together in the genital parts as they coupled; and the plague ceased, which had advanced among the people, and had destroyed 24 thousand. And because Phinehas, by too great a zeal of the Law, exacted the vengeance of God upon the sinning man, therefore the Lord constituted for him and his seed an eternal Priesthood; who also with his father Eleazar entered the land of promise, and succeeded him in the priesthood, and glorious in merits and praiseworthy in fame, rested in peace, buried in his paternal tomb.