e shall see presently, by Irenaeus [156:3]. Moreover Anastasius of
Sinai distinctly styles Papias an 'exegete,' meaning thereby, as his
context shows, an 'interpreter' of the Holy Scriptures [157:1].

'The title of his work' therefore does not 'indicate' anything of the
kind which our author assumes it to indicate [157:2]. It does not
suggest a more authentic narrative, but a more correct interpretation of
an existing narrative. And the same inference is suggested still more
strongly, when from the title we turn to the words of the preface;
'_But_ I will not scruple _also_ to give a place _along with my
interpretations_ ([Greek: sunkatataxai tais hermeneiais]) to all that I
learnt carefully and remembered carefully in time past from the elders.'
Here the sense of 'exegesis' in the title is explained by the use of the
unambiguous word 'interpretations.' But this is not the most important
point. The interpretations must have been interpretations of something.
Of what then? Certainly not of the oral traditions, for the
interpretations are presupposed, and the oral traditions are mentioned
subsequently, being introduced to illustrate the interpretations. The
words which I have italicised leave no doubt about this. The 'also,'
which (by the way) our author omits, has no significance otherwise. The
expression 'along with the interpretations' is capable only of one
meaning. In other words, the only account which can be given of the
passage, consistently with logic and grammar, demands the following
sequence.--(1) The text, of which something was doubtless said in the
preceding passage, for it is assumed in the extract itself. (2) The
interpretations which explained the text, and which were the main object
of the work. (3) The oral traditions, which, as the language here shows,
were subordinate to the interpretations, and which Papias mentions in a
slightly apologetic tone. These oral traditions had obviously a strong
attraction for Papias; he introduced them frequently to confirm and
illustrate his explanations. But only the most violent wresting of
language can make them the text or basis of these interpretations
[158:1].

A good example of the method thus adopted by Papias and explained in his
preface is accidentally preserved by Irenaeus [158:2]. This father is
discoursing on the millennial reign of Christ. His starting point is the
saying of our Lord at the last supper, 'I will not drink henceforth of
the fruit of this vi