Across the Red Sea to the homeland of the just: traces of paschal baptism in Prudentius, «Cathemerinon» 5

Prudentius’ Cathemerinon has received increasing attention over the last decades, but there remains a lot to discover about some aspects of the collection, such as its symbolism and the author’s aesthetics. This paper aims to shed light on symbolic layers of meaning in Cath. 5, which deals with the lighting of lamps at dusk and evokes the escape of the Jews from Egypt and their wandering in the desert until they reach the homeland of the just. In the first part, I will draw a comparison between Prudentius’ hymn and the Easter proclamation that was chanted during Easter Eve. I will focus specifically on the crossing of the Red Sea, which was commonly interpreted by the Fathers of the Church as a prefiguration of baptism – one of the most relevant rituals of the liturgy during Easter vigil. In the second part, I will explore the paradise scene and highlight various connections with resurrection and baptism. In particular, with the help of the Fathers, I will interpret specific allusions to the hortus conclusus of the Song of Songs; as a result, I will argue that the paradisiac garden, accessible to the believers after the crossing of the Red Sea, might refer to the Church, to which baptism is the gateway.