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I think I found yet another reference to the Alexandrian throne at the beginning of Irenaeus' Proof of the Apostolic Teachings which has survived only in Armenian. Most people haven't noticed this before because they haven't observed a pattern of depreciating the Alexandrian see. They haven't also supposed that the Markan tradition of that Christian center was the read 'seat' of the heresy of which Irenaeus' Roman See was actively engaged in a struggle for the heart of the Church in the late second and early third century CE.
In any event let's start with a citation of the original text:
Wherefore the Holy Spirit says by David: Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly: that is, the counsel of the nations which know not God: for those are ungodly who worship not the God that truly is. And therefore the Word says to Moses: I am He that is but they that worship not the God that is, these are the ungodly. And hath not stood in the way of sinners: but sinners are those who have the knowledge of God and keep not His commandments; that is, disdainful scorners. And hath not sat in the chair (cathedra) of the pestilent: now the pestilential are those who by wicked and perverse doctrines corrupt not themselves only, but others also. For the seat is a symbol of teaching. Such then are all heretics: they sit in the seats of the pestilential, and those are corrupted who receive the venom of their doctrine.
Yet notice how the beginning of Psalm 1 LXX reads in full:
Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the cathedra of the pestilent. But his will is in the law of the Lord; and in his law will he mediate day and night. And he shall be as a tree planted by the rivers of waters, which shall yield its fruit in whatever season and its leaf shall not fall off, and whatsoever he shall do shall be prospered.
Has anyonone bothered to look at what appears on the backrest of the original Episcopal cathedra of Alexandria? Yes you guessed it, this very 'Tree of Life' alluded to in the Psalm in portrayed on the backrest. The idea that the Pope who sat on this throne was a 'planted' tree in Paradise appears in the narrative associated with Theonas and Peter 1 (end of the third century CE) where Theonas speaks of Peter's eventual enthronement as patriarch in exactly the same terms.
As Theonas was about to die he is said to have given special instruction to his successor Peter noting:
When I had finished the short office [as Archbishop] according to my strength, I lay down to sleep on the bed, praying to the Lord on behalf of his flock that he might help them. Immediately the King, the Lord of Glory, appeared to me and said, ‘you who water well the spiritual garden, give the garden to Peter the presbyter so he can water it and come and rest with your fathers [emphasis mine].’ And forgive me O my beloved children, because I was foolish, but I cannot conceal the righteousness of God in my heart for his great congregation which is you. Behold, therefore, I did not hinder my lips; I have proclaimed to you the righteousness of the Lord.” And all of them cried together saying, “Worthy, worthy, worthy, for he is truly worthy of the rank of the patriarchate.’ Then the archbishop said to Peter “Have courage, my son and be strong and work well the garden of your Lord. But [Peter] prostrated himself, weeping and saying, ‘I am not worthy, nor will I be able to do this great thing.’ The archbishop said, ‘It is Christ who commands you. Let no one oppose the one who has chosen you. It is he who will give you strength.’ And when he had heard these things Abba Theonas said, ‘May peace be will all of you,’ and he looked upwards toward heaven and spoke thus, ‘Behold the King of Glory and his holy angels.’[emphasis mine] And thus he went to him whom he loved, our Lord Jesus Christ, on the second day of Tobi, in the peace of God. Amen. After these things Saint Peter was seated on the throne of the high priesthood by the decree of God Almighty. (Vivian p 82)
The command from the Father to Theonas to ‘give the garden’ to Peter is without a doubt intended to say that he ‘gave the throne’ to the new Archbishop.
Yet notice that Clement of Alexandria seems to have a vision of the 'heavenly throne' hidden by veils (as in To Theodore) where the object is likened - interestingly to the female hypostasis 'Truth' from Irenaeus' AH i.13 - 21. We read Clement say at one point:
Accordingly one dreams, the soul assenting to the vision. But he dreams waking, who looks so as to lust; not only, as that Gnostic said, if along with the sight of the woman he imagine in his mind intercourse ... [and] the spirit, admiring, as I judge, the body as an image, by whose beauty he transports himself to the Artist, and to the true beauty; exhibiting the sacred symbol, the bright impress of righteousness to the angels that wait on the ascension. I mean the unction of acceptance, the quality of disposition which resides in the soul that is gladdened by the communication of the Holy Spirit. This glory, which shone forth on the face of Moses, the people could not look on. Wherefore he took a veil for the glory, to those who looked carnally. For those, who demand toll, detain those who bring in any worldly things, who are burdened with their own passions. But him that is free of all things which are subject to duty, and is full of knowledge, and of the righteousness of works, they pass on with their good wishes, blessing the man with his work. “And his life shall not fall away” —the leaf of the living tree that is nourished “by the water-courses.” [Ps. i. 3]. Now the righteous is likened to fruit-bearing trees, and not only to such as are of the sacrifice (θυσίαν) of tall bearing ones. And in the sacrificial oblations, according to the law, there were those who looked for blemishes in the sacrifices. [Clement, Stromata iv.18]
Finally we should note the uncanny parallels between Justin Martyrs statement about the enthroned Christ and what still appears in the Alexandrian enthronement ritual of its bishop. Justin says:
"For indeed all kings and anointed persons obtained from Him their share in the names of kings and anointed: just as He Himself received from the Father the titles of King, and Christ, and Priest, and Angel, and such like other titles which He bears or did bear. Aaron’s rod, which blossomed, declared him to be the high priest. Isaiah prophesied that a rod would come forth from the root of Jesse, [and this was] Christ. And David says that the righteous man is ‘like the tree that is planted by the channels of waters, which should yield its fruit in its season, and whose leaf should not fade.’" [Ps i.3]
