Hieron. Ep. 59 ( ad Ocean. ) § 9, Heri catechumenus, hodie pontifex: heri in amphitheatro, hodie in ecclesia: vespere in circo, mane in altario. Greg. Turon. Hist. Franc. 2.14 Habet (the original church of St Martin at Tours) fenestras in altario triginta duas, in capso [the nave] viginti, columnas quadraginta unam.
In the Greek Liturgies, as might have been expected, the word
qusiasthvrion
is used in different meanings. It will be enough to take illustrations from the Liturgy of St James (Swainson, pp. 213-332). Commonly the word is used for the Holy Table (pp. 216, 222-6, 246, 254-6, 260-2, 282-
8). In one place it occurs in a rubric as a various reading for
travpeza
(p. 238, Rot. Mess.
ejn tw'/ qusiasthrivw/
, Cod. Rossan.
ejn th'/ aJgiva/ trapevzh/
: comp. pp. 318, 319). In two rubrics it is used for the Sanctuary (p. 222
ajpo; tw'n qurw'n th'" ejkklhsiva" e{w" tou' qusiasthrivou
, p. 223
meta; to; eijselqei'n eij" to; qusiasthvrion
, Cod. Par. 2509). Elsewhere it is used for the heavenly, spiritual, altar (p. 229
ajnalhfqhvtw
...
eij" to; a{gion kai; uJperouravniovn sou qusiasthvrion, eij" ojsmh;n eujwdiva"
...p. 260
eij" to; a{gion kai; uJperouravnion kai; noerovn sou qusiasthvrion, eij" ojsmh;n eujwdiva"
...p. 304
eij" to; a{gion kai; uJperouravnion, noero;n kai; pneumatiko;n aujtou' qusiasthvrion, eij" ojsmh;n eujwdiva"
). Once, it may be added,
hJ travpeza
is used for the heavenly food upon it: p. 322...
kataxiwvsa" hJma'" metascei'n th'" ejpouranivou trapevzh"
.
The Liturgies bring out plainly the parallel use of
qusiasthvrion
and
travpeza
. The earlier word
travpeza
still held its place, and with it the central thought of a divine feast to which it bore witness. Early writers found the foreshadowing of the heavenly table in Prov. 9:1 ff. (Cypr.
Testim.
2.2;
Ep.
63.5; comp. the spurious
Disp. c. Ar.
§ 17, printed in the works of Athanasius). Sometimes this Holy Table was made at an early date of wood (Athan.
Hist. Ar. ad Mon.
§ 56
aJrpavsante" ta; sumyevllia
[subsellia]
kai; to;n qrovnon kai; th;n travpezan, xulivnh ga;r h\n, kai; ta; bh'la
[vela]
th'" ejkklhsiva"
...
e[kausan
), but afterwards it was of stone (Greg. Nyss.
in Bapt. Chr., P. G.
xlvi. p. 581
to; qusiasthvrion tou'to
...
livqo" ejsti; kata; th;n fuvsin koinov"
...
ejpeidh; de; kaqierwvqh th'/ tou' qeou' qerapeiva/
...
e[sti travpeza aJgiva, qusiasthvrion a[cranton
...The words are translated by Nicholas 1.,
Ep.
ii.; comp. Sozom.
H. E.
9.2
to; ejpivqema th'" qhvkh" w{sper eij" iJera;n ejxhskei'to travpezan
). Basil appears to use the two words
qusiasthvrion
and
travpeza
as interchangeable (
Ep.
ccxxvi. 2;
P. G.
32.485
eij ojrqovdoxo" nu'n Basileivdh" oJ koinwniko;" jEkdikivou, dia; tiv
...
ta; qusiasthvria ejkeivnou
...
katevstrefon kai; eJautw'n travpeza" ejtivqesan
;) for it is difficult to see any contrast between them as they are used. Comp. Cyr. Hier.
Cat.
22 (
Myst.
4) § 7. The corresponding word
mensa
is common in Latin writers (see e.g., Index to Augustine); and it came to be used as a technical term for the altar-slab (
tabula
).
The history of the word offers an instructive illustration of the way in which spiritual thoughts connected with material imagery clothe themselves in material forms, till at last the material form dominates the thought. The three notes of the three chief Greek Commentators who expound the passage shew the action of this natural influence.
CHRYSOSTOM. oujc oi|a ta; jIoudai>kav, fhsiv, toiau'ta ta; parj hJmi'n, wJ" mhde; ajrcierei' qevmi" ei\nai metevcein aujtw'n : w{ste ejpeidh; ei\pe Mh; parathrei'sqe, ejdovkei de; tou'to katabavllonto" ei\nai ta; i[dia, pavlin aujto; peristrevfei . Mh; gar kai; hJmei'" ouj parathrou'men ; fhsiv, kai; parathrou'men