Works of Philo of Alexandria

Philo — Works Vol. I, Yonge — Section 18

the external senses, but they are entirely ideas, and measures, and forms, and seals, incorporeal as far as regards the genera- tion of other bodies. But when light came, and darkness retreated and yielded to it, and boundaries were set in the space between the two, namely, evening and morning, then of necessity the measure of time was immediately perfected, which also the Creator called " day," and He called it not " the first day," but " one day ;" and it is spoken of thus, on account of the single nature of the world perceptible only by the intellect, which has a single nature. X. The incorporeal world then was already completed, having its seat in the Divine Reason ; and the world, percep- tible by the external senses, was made on the model of it ; and the first portion of it, being also the most excellent of all made by the Creator, was the heaven, which he truly called the firmament, as being corporeal ; for the body is by nature firm, inasmuch as it is divisible into three parts ; and what other idea of solidity and of body can there be, except that it is something which may be measured in every direction ? therefore he, very naturally contesting that which was per- ceptible to the external senses, and corporeal with that which was perceptible only by the intellect and incorporeal, called this the firmament. Immediately afterwards he, with great propriety and entire correctness, called it the heaven, either because it was already the boundary* of everything, or because it was the first of all visible .things which was created ; and after its second rising he called the time day, referring the entire space and measure of a day to the heaven, on account of its dignity and honour among the things perceptible to the external senses.