THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
You can align these thoughts with what has been previously discussed. The land of Egypt, once abundant in water, was made dry by the Almighty, allowing those who desired to cross its lakes and rivers to do so easily. The territory was split into two distinct areas. One part thrives on highly fertile agricultural land where vineyards are cultivated extensively, while the other relies on the lakeside, gathering resources from the waters—fishing, harvesting papyrus, crafting paper, and producing fine linen. The communities along the lakes are known as shepherds due to their numerous herds of cattle, yet they face a severe shortage of bread, wine, and other essentials.
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When the waters recede, they will seek drinking water from the shores; those who dig along the seashore will find water to quench their thirst. The rivers and canals will run dry, leaving every pond of reeds and chaff without moisture, leading to desolation for the fishermen, linen makers, and those who craft barley beer. This scarcity will usher in a profound sense of deprivation in these areas, stripping them of the joys and necessities of life. This serves as a clear teaching illustrated by historical reflection.
However, if one wishes to explore the drought from a different perspective, one could draw deeper parallels, equating the dwindling waters with the hollow and irrational discourse of Greek philosophers, where the fish, papyrus, reeds, and other aquatic flora represent the masses. The fishermen and those who draw sustenance from the waters symbolize those who skillfully lead the uninformed crowd astray with deceptive teachings, employing their influence as if guiding them with rods. These leaders will mourn and lament when their thoughts are idle, illustrating that if the source of nurturing hypothetically dries up, everything dependent on it will similarly perish. They brew beer, which fails to deliver the joy that true wine brings to the soul, instead offering empty and fruitless doctrines disguised as profound ideas. The notion of producing fine linen and combed flax points to the triviality that occupies their discourse, lacking substance and rife with detrimental fantasies. This beer, much like their murky and cold drink, does not satisfy thirst but exacerbates it, resulting in discomfort for those who indulge and potentially leading to lasting ailments due to its chilling nature.