(And after other things.) But, as to the tunic of God our Saviour Jesus, on which those who performed the crucifixion cast lots, your mightiness' love of God should know that we should understand the statement exactly according to the letter. In Palestine it is the custom for men to make such tunics as are divided in the middle and not woven together throughout, but contain the sections of the texture separately; so that even now we may see many such tunics, made of wool and linen, in the city of Gaza; since afterwards, when it is about to be put on, and is skilfully and becomingly folded, that division is concealed by the tailors. But some of those who are of low station have it all woven together from beginning to end, and these they describe according to custom as being woven from the top to the bottom, since there is no division in them. But this indicates also a mystery which shows that the Only Word who was born below in flesh is above from God and the Father. Since every human soul has a body like some garment which springs up with it, as is said by Job the man of mighty endurance to God: «With skin and flesh hast thou clothed me, and with bones and sinews hast thou strengthened me», so also our Saviour's body, if one conceives of it as a kind of tunic that sprang up at the same time, because it was united to the Word invariably by a natural union, was woven from the top, that is by the coming of the Holy Spirit, and not by human seed. That these things are so the genuine doctors of the holy church also show; for it is good that we confirm every statement and opinion by the expressions used by these. John who became bishop of Constantinople in the 85th homily of the commentary on the Gospel of John wrote as follows: «But do you, I pray, observe the prophet's accuracy; for the prophet did not say only that they divided, but also that they did not divide. Some things they divided, but the tunic they did not divide, but also committed the matter to lot. But the expression 'woven from the top' is not added casually; but some say that by means of this expression one thing is indicated in place of another, because he who was crucified was not mere man, but had also the Godhead from above; while others say that the evangelist is depicting the actual pattern of the tunic, for, since in Palestine they join two pieces of material together and so weave garments, John signifies that the tunic was not of this kind, in that he says that it was woven from the top. And this it seems to me that he says by way of signifying the meanness of the garments, and, as in all other things, so also in raiment he followed a simple form» . And Athanasius the great in the homily on the Cross says these things: «Together with these things he put on also an unsewn tunic that was woven from the top throughout, that from this also the Jews might be able to believe who and whence he is who put on these things; that the Word is not from the earth, but that he came from above, and he is not one divided, but is without division from the Father; because, when he became man, he had not a body that was sewn together from a man and a woman, but one that was woven from a virgin alone by the Spirit's workmanship» .