The Ancient Witnesses

Chapter 3: The Beginning of Time • 95

words of the prophet: Send forth thy spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth .” 16 We discussed the insights of these two Post-Nicene witnesses among ourselves. “I know that all of the Trinity was involved in creation,” said Joseph, “but how did he get the new birth out of the spirit hovering over the water?” “Intertextuality,” said Father Greg. “What’s that?” asked Cesar. “It’s like cross referencing” the priest explained, “one verse sheds light on another. Ambrose quoted the psalms— send forth thy spirit— to explain why the Holy Spirit was hovering over creation.” The line of ancient witnesses waiting to testify on the opening verses of Genesis never seemed to run out: those who offered testimony were replaced by others as soon as they took their seats. Many of these witnesses carried large commentaries on the six days of creation. 17 At some point Mentor intervened to change the subject, “Brothers, our Book of Beginnings opened with the creation of the heavens and earth, but it climaxes with the creation of humanity. Each day’s creation speech began with words such as “let there be…”, or “let the earth bring forth.” But the final creation command—“Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness”—sets our ancestors apart, suggesting that our God was in dialogue with others as He created humankind. With

16 Ps. 104:30, and Ambrose, Hexameron 1.8 (Louth, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, 5). Some works of Ambrose are in NPNF 2.10, but not his Hexameron .

17 These were known as Hexameron , a Greek term that combines the word six ( hexa ) with days ( eimeron ) .