Hippolytus of Rome, Exegetical Fragments §1: On the Hexaëmeron, Or Six Days' Work

The Extant Works and Fragments

of

Part I.—Exegetical.

Fragments from Commentaries on Various Books of Scripture.

On the Hexaëmeron, Or Six Days’ Work.

Now these things we are under the necessity of setting forth at length, in order to disprove the supposition of others. For some choose to maintain that paradise is in heaven, and forms no part of the system of creation. But since we see with our eyes the rivers that go forth from it which are open, indeed, even in our day, to the inspection of any who choose, let every one conclude from this that it did not belong to heaven, but was in reality planted in the created system. And, in truth, it is a locality in the east, and a place select.