Clement of Alexandria: STROMATA (MISCELLANIES), Part IV, Complete

Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.

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Chapter XI.--The Mystical Meanings in the Proportions of Numbers, Geometrical Ratios, and Music.

As then in astronomy we have Abraham as an instance, so also in arithmetic we have the same Abraham. "For, hearing that Lot was taken captive, and having numbered his own servants, born in his house, 318 (tie [3334] )," he defeats a very great number of the enemy.

They say, then, that the character representing 300 is, as to shape, the type of the Lord's sign, [3335] and that the Iota and the Eta indicate the Saviour's name; that it was indicated, accordingly, that Abraham's domestics were in salvation, who having fled to the Sign and the Name became lords of the captives, and of the very many unbelieving nations that followed them.

Now the number 300 is, 3 by 100. Ten is allowed to be the perfect number. And 8 is the first cube, which is equality in all the dimensions--length, breadth, depth. "The days of men shall be," it is said, "120 (rk) years." [3336] And the sum is made up of the numbers from 1 to 15 added together. [3337] And the moon at 15 days is full.

[3334] Gen. xiv. 14. In Greek numerals.

[3335] The Lord's sign is the cross, whose form is represented by T; Ie (the other two letters of tie, 381) are the first two letters of the name Iesous (Jesus).

[3336] Gen. vi. 3.

[3337] The sum of the numbers from 1 to 15 inclusive is 120.

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