The Philo Library
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"To many, perhaps to most people, it comes as a great
surprise to learn that there exists quite a vast Jewish literature that was written in Greek. It
is even more suprising that in the first Christian century many, many more Jews lived in the Greek
world than in Judea; indeed, there were more in the city of Alexandria, Egypt (the New York City
of the time), than in the Holy Land." (Judaism and Christian Beginnings, Samuel Sandmel, p. 257).
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"Philo belonged to the most distinguished Jewish family
of Alexandria, and according to Jerome and Photius, the ancient authorities for his life, was of the
priestly rank; his brother Alexander Lysimachus was not only the governor of the Jewish community,
but also the alabarch, i.e., ruler of the whole Delta reigion, and enjoyed the confidence of Mark
Antony, who appointed him guardian of his second daughter Antonia, the mother of Germanicus and
the Roman emperor Claudius. Born in an atmosphere of power and affluence, Philo, who might have
consorted with princes, devoted himself from the first with all his soul to a life of contemplation;
like a Palestinian rabbi he regarded as man's highest duty the study of the law and the knowledge
of God. This is the way in which he understood the philosopher's life: man's true function is
to know God, and to make God known: he can know God only through His revelation, and he can comprehend
that revelation only by continued study." (Philo-Judaeus of Alexandria, Norman Bentwich, p. 46).
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"There
are distinguished and innumerable works by this man: On the five books of
Moses, one book Concerning the confusion of tongues, one book On
nature and invention, one book On the things which our senses desire and
we detest, one book On learning, one book On the heir of divine things,
one book On the division of equals and contraries, one book On the
three virtues, one book On why in Scripture the names of many persons
are changed, two books On covenants, one book On the life of a wise man,
one book Concerning giants, five books That dreams are sent by God,
five books of Questions and answers on Exodus, four books On the
tabernacle and the Decalogue, as well as books On victims and promises
or curses, On Providence, On the Jews, On the manner
of one’s life, On Alexander, and That dumb beasts have right reason,
and That every fool should be a slave, and On the lives of the Christians,
[Jerome misidentified Essenes as Christians] of which
we spoke above, that is, lives of apostolic men, which also he entitled, On those
who practice the divine life, because in truth they contemplate divine things
and ever pray to God, also under other categories, two On agriculture,
two On drunkenness. There are other monuments of his genius which
have not come to our hands. Concerning him there is a proverb among the Greeks
“Either Plato philonized, or Philo platonized,” that is, either Plato
followed Philo, or Philo, Plato, so great is the similarity of ideas and
language." (Jerome, Lives of Illustrious Men, 11.)
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Yongebonics:
“For when God determined to establish this in us out of his own exceeding mercy
and love for the human race, he would not find any temple upon earth more
beautiful or more suited for its abode than reason: for the mind makes, as
it were, an image of the good and consecrates it within itself, and if any persons
disbelieve in it of those who have either never tasted wisdom at all, or else
have done so only with the edges of their lips (for silver and gold, and
honors, and offices, and vigor and beauty of body, resemble those men who are
appointed to situations of authority and power, in order to serve virtue
as if she were their queen), never having obtained a sight of the most brilliant
of all lights.” (Philo Judaeus, On Nobility, I, Yonge translation).
But then on the plus side, it's out of copyright...
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