The philosopher philo, born about 20 bce to a prominent jewish family in alexandria, was trained in greek as well as jewish learning. The philo concordance project is a norwegian project aiming at producing a complete philo electronic concordance. The greek word for regeneration in the new testament is palingenesis. On the birth of abel and the sacrifices offered by him and. It will be enough to say that he came of a rich and influential jewish family and was trained in greek as well as jewish learning. His writings provide the clearest view of this development of. Ferguson, backgrounds of early christianity, 1993, p. Philo argued that much of greek philosophy in large part came from moses. The church fathers have preserved most of philos works that are now extant. Philo creationwiki, the encyclopedia of creation science. In the life of moses, philo goes further in associating the menorah with the cosmos.
The contemporary of josephus, translated from the greek. Philo was more fluent in greek than in hebrew and read the jewish scriptures chiefly from the septuagint, a koine greek translation of hebraic texts later compiled as the hebrew bible and the deuterocanonical books. Philo was all the more enthusiastically received by the early christians, some of whom saw in him a christian. The key emphasis in philo s philosophy was contrasting the spiritual life, understood as intellectual contemplation, with the mundane preoccupation with earthly concerns. Philo judaeus was born in alexandria, but the exact date of his birth is unknown. His method followed the practices of both jewish exegesis and stoic philosophy.
Philo of alexandria is a jewish thinker who lived in alexandria in the first half of the first century bce. The philo concordance project website introduces the project as follows. He lived in alexandria, which at that time counted, according to some estimates, about one million people and included largest jewish community outside of palestine. In response to the greek depiction of christianity as a new religion, christians adapted the hellenistic jewish apologetic arguments to argue for the antiquity and superiority of christian philosophers page 105. Greek science, suppressed by the victorious phariseeism men. Yonges full title, a treatise on the life of moses, that is to say, on the theology and prophetic office of moses, book ii. The treatise on the life of moses is part of philos exposition of the law, a series containing a treatise on the creation, three extant lives of biblical patriarchs, four books on mosaic law, and two concluding treatises on virtues and rewards and punishments, which. The logos and its function in the writings of philo of. On the life of moses, a biography of moses meant to show moses as a philosopher. Philos portrayal of moses in the context of ancient judaism mirrors the organization of philos biography of moses, which is in two books, the first, in the style of plutarch. Life of moses on the pagan use of god january 1, 0040 no, clearly by god the greek term. For a short introduction to philo, his family and their connections with rome, see philo, on the embassy to gaius 810. Philo, second part of solutions to questions which arise in genesis. Philos portrayal of moses in the context of ancient judaism.
The septuagint translates the phrase malakh yhwh, lit. Philo s portrayal of moses in the context of ancient judaism mirrors the organization of philo s biography of moses, which is in two books, the first, in the style of plutarch, proceeding chronologically, and the second, in the style of suetonius, arranged topically. His family, of a sacerdotal line, was one of the most powerful of the populous jewish colony of alexandria. The one identifiable event in philos life occurred in the year 39 or 40, when, after a. Philo of alexandria stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Philo of alexandria the meanings of philosophy in philo. As the first to attempt to synthesize revealed faith and. On the contemplative life, a book by philo arguing that not only does greek philosophy not disagree with judaism it was created by judaism. An important example of philosophical syncretism, he was a diaspora jew prepared to concede a good deal to hellenism in his interpretation of the scriptu.
The writings of philo are the most important surviving documents from the world of hellenistic judaism. The word had a primitive use by the stoics, most notably, philo of alexandria used to to refer to the rebirth of the world after it was destroyed by. Apparently philo was the precipitant of a greek education and had an intimate knowledge of greek jewish scripture. He took philosophical allegory to blend and integrate greek. Philo judaeus, also called philo of alexandria, born 1510 bce, alexandriadied 4550 ce, alexandria, greekspeaking jewish philosopher, the most important representative of hellenistic judaism. Go to the tables of contents of the works of philo. In attempting to reconcile biblical teachings with greek philosophy he developed ideas that had wide influence on christian and jewish religious thought. The works of philo on the life of moses, ii yonges full title, a treatise on the life of moses, that is to say, on the theology and prophetic office of moses, book ii. Translated from the ancient armenian version of the original greek lire en ligne archive. For philo, greek philosophy was a natural development of the revelatory. Following an introductory chapter, feldmans study discusses the life of moses. For philo, greek philosophy was a natural development of the revelatory teachings of moses.
With regard to genealogy, the greek rhetorician theon of alexandria declares that. Moses was by birth a hebrew, but he was born, and brought up, and educated in egypt, his ancestors having migrated into egypt with all their families on account. There are two levels of philosophia in philos thought. The one public event in his life was his taking part in an embassy sent by the jews of alexandria to caligula to complain of the persecutions which they had been suffering. An important example of philosophical syncretism, he was a diaspora jew prepared to concede a good deal to hellenism in his interpretation of the scriptures. Philo of alexandria internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Philos first language was greek, as was true of many jews in alexandria. Philos portrayal of moses in the context of ancient judaism mirrors the organization of philos biography of moses, which is in two books, the first, in the style of plutarch, proceeding chronologically, and the second, in the style of suetonius, arranged topically. The key emphasis in philos philosophy was contrasting the spiritual life, understood as intellectual contemplation, with the mundane preoccupation with earthly concerns. In the background of his life and of his work lay an antisemitism growing more. Philo who, also known as philo of alexandria, philo judaeus, philo judaeus of alexandria, yedidia, philon, and philo the jew, was a popular and prominent hellenistic jewish biblical philosopher. Reading this together with philos allegorical understanding. In attempting to reconcile biblical teachings with greek philosophy he.
Moses is the man who saw god in the sinai, but he by himself would have. Menorah, its branches and their cosmic significance. If plato was moses in attic greek as aristobulus said, then st. Questions on genesis book 1, book 2, book 3 and on exodus. Some of philos works have been preserved in greek, while others have survived through armenian translations, and a. So the greek septuagint version of the hebrew scriptures was the basis of his study. Samuel tells philos explanation on how moses could have written about his death and compares philos idea to the one in the talmud. He explains why the order of the ten commandments is different in the greek translation called septuagint and in philo than in the hebrew bible. Philo was thoroughly educated in greek philosophy and culture as can be. The exposition of the law then follows in two sections.
The philosopher philo was born about 20 bce to a prominent jewish family in alexandria, the chief home of the jewish diaspora as well as the chief center of hellenistic culture. On the life of moses i perspectives of a fellow traveler. Philos education, like that which he ascribes to moses, most probably consisted of. The logos and its function in the writings of philo of alexandria. Philo of alexandria also called philo judaeus, was a hellenistic jewish philosopher who lived. This topos won great favor among greek intellectuals like philos. This great teacher, this divine flame of godbreathing logic, was a propagator of religious and philosophical truth, whose influence is felt within all monotheistic confessions and all philosophy up to this very day. Apologies for judaism including on the life of moses, on the jews, and on the contemplative life. Philo, migration of abraham 8993 on ancestral customs and their meaning philo, on the cherubim 4049 birth of cain, god as begetter of virtues scriptural exposition. Philo, solutions to questions which arise in genesis. On the life of moses, ii yonges full title, a treatise on the life of moses, that is to say, on the theology and prophetic office of moses, book ii. He was no innovator in this matter because already before him jewish scholars attempted the same. And all the other branches of the encyclical education he learnt from greeks.
This great teacher, this divine flame of godbreathing logic, was a propagator of religious and philosophical truth, whose influence is felt within all monotheistic confessions and. Yonges full title, a treatise on the life of moses, that is to say, on the theology. Philo of alexandria simple english wikipedia, the free. Of all the writers of this school the most eminent was philo, and his works are highly interesting as showing us the manner in which the sophists of his age and national sought to appropriate the greek philosophy by an allegorical interpretation of the works of moses, which they thus represented as containing all the principles which the greeks. The first of these two treatises covers, as is stated at the beginning of the second, the early life and education of moses and the main facts of his work as king. Philo gives them at times a greek etymology, the particular rules for the signs which indicate that moses. He took philosophical allegory to blend and integrate greek philosophy and jewish traditions in a harmonious manner. The candlestick he moses placed at the south of the tabernacle figuring thereby the movements of the luminaries above. He used platonic philosophy to allegorize scripture so as to. Philo of alexandria also called philo judaeus, was a hellenistic jewish philosopher who lived in alexandria, in the roman province of egypt. In an age of liberal hellenistic judaism, philo seems to stand as a bulwark in support of the keeping of the almightys law volumes vii and viii of philos works, containing the decalogue, the special laws, on the virtues, and on rewards and punishments, are. On which account everything was now made obedient to noah.
The philosopher philo was born about 20 bce to a prominent jewish family in. Philo, greek philosophy was a natural development of the revelatory teachings of moses. When hebrew mythical thought met greek philosophical thought in the first century b. His writings provide the clearest view of this development of judaism in the diaspora. Philo allegorizes her as an eyes perfect focus, reflecting moses direct perception of god. In attempting to reconcile biblical teachings with greek philosophy he developed ideas that had wide influence on. That is, a number of very special greek words that philo applied to his logos are used by the writer of hebrews to describe jesus. At the beginning of the roman empire, especially for the stoics and the cynics, the fundamental task of a philosopher was the construction of his own self. Philo, on the account of the creation of the world as given by moses. Whether he really was a philosopher is a question still debated at length. Philo of alexandria, also called philo judaeus, was a hellenistic jewish philosopher who lived in alexandria, in the roman province of egypt.
The word indices printed this far are printouts of a database containing all the greek words in the writings of philo of alexandria, main fragments included. The word indices printed this far are printouts of a database. Moses our teacher, is the most important prophet in judaism. Philo judaeus, greekspeaking jewish philosopher, the most important. Despite the fact that he was alive and active at the same time as the rabbinic sages hillel, shammai, and gamaliel, as well as jesus. They furnish us with a great deal of first hand information concerning the religion of the jews outside of israel, new testament background and the interaction of judaism within a gentile culture. Classic interpretations and philos allegory ancient interpreters debated the identify of moses kushite wife and the nature of miriam and aarons complaint. Apologies for judaism including on the life of moses, on the jews, and on. As he examined the septuagint text, he became convinced that it contained elements of philosophy and that moses possessed the genius of. Philo, the life of moses its relevance for new testament studies. Philo of alexandria, a hellenized jew also called judaeus philo, is a figure that spans two cultures, the greek and the hebrew. Philo does, that the lxx follows the usage of classical greek. Philo used philosophical allegory to harmonize jewish scripture, mainly the torah, with greek philosophy.
The life of moses is a resume of the jewish law, intended for a larger public. Ancient interpreters debated the identify of moses kushite wife and the nature of miriam and aarons complaint. His allegorical exegesis was important for some christian church fathers, but he had very little reception history within the rabbinic judaism. Philo of alexandriamixing scripture with speculation. From his works he emerges first of all as a biblical commentator, next as an apologist for judaism, and only third as a philosopher e. The writings of philo judaeus of alexandria book 25.