The Ancient Witnesses

140 • The Ancient Witnesses: A Journey to Discover Our Sacred Roots

“But sir,” asked Cesar, “isn’t blood symbolic of life in many places throughout Scripture?” “An excellent observation,” said Augustine. “But what does the water represent here in this passage?” “Before the Nile was turned to blood the Egyptians drank it and bathed in it,” said Joseph, studying the passage, “but the blood made it undrinkable and even killed the fish.” “In truth,” said Augustine, “and water-changed-into- blood mirrors what the Egyptians did to God: they made him into a creature of blood, and so their minds were darkened .” Augustine, “or have you forgotten that the New in the Old is concealed, and the Old in the New is revealed?” 43 It took me a moment to realize that Augustine was referring to the New and Old Testaments. “Another commandment forbids taking the Lord’s name in vain, correct?” asked Augustine, without waiting for our response. “This I match up with the plague of frogs, whose croaking is a symbol of vain babbling!” Preacher was delighted with Augustine’s parallels but Cesar seemed skeptical. The great Bishop began speaking more quickly and we had little time to think about his interpretation. 43 In other words, the message of the New Testament is concealed or hidden in the Old Testament, and obscure events of the Old Testament are revealed or explained in the New Testament. From Augustine, Questions from the Heptateuch , Question 73, Patrologia Latina 34, 623. The original Latin reads: in Vetere Novum lateat, et in Novo Vetus pateat , literally “in the old the new is concealed, and in the new the old is revealed.” “But where does it say all that?” asked Cesar. “In the Apostle’s letter to the Romans,” replied