Volume I: On the Account of the World's Creation given by Moses. Allegorical Interpretation of Genesis II, III.

by Philo of Alexandria, F.H. Colson (Translator), G.H. Whitaker (Translator)

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; he was trained in Greek as well as Jewish learning. In attempting to reconcile biblical teachings with Greek philosophy he developed ideas that had wide influence on Christian and Jewish religious thought.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of the works of Philo is in ten volumes and two supplements, distributed as follows. Volume I: Creation; Interpretation of Genesis II and III. II: On the Cherubim; The Sacrifices of Abel and Cain; The Worse Attacks the Better; The Posterity and Exile of Cain; On the Giants. III: The Unchangeableness of God; On Husbandry; Noah's Work as a Planter; On Drunkenness; On Sobriety. IV: The Confusion of Tongues; The Migration of Abraham; The Heir of Divine Things; On the Preliminary Studies. V: On Flight and Finding; Change of Names; On Dreams. VI: Abraham; Joseph; Moses. VII: The Decalogue; On Special Laws Books I-III. VIII: On Special Laws Book IV; On the Virtues; Rewards and Punishments. IX: Every Good Man Is Free; The Contemplative Life; The Eternity of the World; Against Flaccus; Apology for the Jews; On Providence. X: On the Embassy to Gaius; indexes. Supplement I: Questions on Genesis. II: Questions on Exodus; index to supplements.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology, History, Classics

528 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1929

About the author

Philo (20 B.C.–50 A.D.), known also as Philo of Alexandria (Greek: Φίλων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Hebrew: ידידיה הכהן Yedidia Hacohen), Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, Yedidia, "Philon", and Philo the Jew, was a Hellenistic Jewish Biblical philosopher born in Alexandria.

Philo used philosophical allegory to attempt to fuse and harmonize Greek philosophy with Jewish philosophy. His method followed the practices of both Jewish exegesis and Stoic philosophy. His allegorical exegesis was important for several Christian Church Fathers, but he has barely any reception history within Judaism. "The sophists of literalness," as he calls the literalist Jews,[1] "opened their eyes superciliously" when he explained to them the marvels of his exegesis. He believed that literal interpretations of the Hebrew Bible would stifle mankind's view and perception of a God too complex and marvelous to be understood in literal human terms.

Some scholars hold that his concept of the Logos as God's creative principle influenced early Christology. Other scholars, however, deny direct influence but say both Philo and Early Christianity borrow from a common source. For Philo, the Logos was God's "blueprint for the world", a governing plan.

The few biographical details concerning Philo are found in his own works, especially in Legatio ad Gaium ("embassy to Gaius"), and in Josephus. The only event in his life that can be determined chronologically is his participation in the embassy in which the Alexandrian Jews were sent to the emperor Caligula at Rome as the result of civil strife between the Alexandrian Jewish and Greek communities. This occurred in the year 40 CE.

Reviews

[Erick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read this work before in Yonge's Works Of Philo. The nice thing about this edition is that I was able to refer to the Greek when important theological/philosophical terms are used. It does aid the reader enormously in understanding the overall Hellenistic literary context.
Philo was one of the first writers to bridge the Judeo-Hellenistic ideological divide. His adopting of Platonist and Stoical disciplines and marrying them with Judaic religion was pretty novel and paradigmatic at the time; although, some evidence of this is found in the New Testament as well; especially in the Epistle to The Hebrews, which is the New Testament book that indicates the most significant traces of Hellenistic and/or Alexandrian influence. Occasionally, the writer of Hebrews uses the same biblical passages and interprets them in a very similar way, e.g. regarding God's oaths and the figure of Melchizedek. Some parallels with Paul's Epistles is also evident. Whether Philo was aware of Christianity or whether the New Testament writers were familiar with him, is speculative but it remains an interesting possibility. Be that as it may, Philo left his definite mark on later church fathers such as Origen and many many others. His doctrine of multiplicity in the Godhead was set to be adopted by Christian writers where it was unlikely to be adopted by Jews of a more orthodox bent. The main parallel with the New Testament is Philo's theology surrounding the Logos as God's archetypal pattern and His mediator in creation.
To sum up, Philo is not only an important example of Middle Platonism in the history of philosophy, he is also important in the history of theology. Taking that into account, he is really essential reading.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

21st Century fundamentalists take note: an Alexandrian Jew from the 1st Century AD recognized that the account of Creation in Genesis was allegorical, not literal.

[Guenevera]

VIII: προνομίας δὲ τό τε πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ φῶς ἠξιοῦτο· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὠνόμασε θεοῦ, διότι ζωτικώτατον τὸ πνεῦμα, ζωῆς δὲ θεὸς - breath and light are most important; breath is divine because it is life



XXII.68: ἡ δ᾿ οἷα τεχνίτης, ἢ κυριώτερον εἰπεῖν ἀνεπίληπτος τέχνη, ζῳοπλαστεῖ, τὴν μὲν ὑγρὰν οὐσίαν εἰς τὰ τοῦ σώματος μέλη καὶ μέρη διανέμουσα, τὴν δὲ πνευματικὴν εἰς τὰς τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις, τήν τε θρεπτικὴν καὶ τὴν αἰσθητικήν· τὴν γὰρ τοῦ λογισμοῦ τανῦν ὑπερθετέον, διὰ τοὺς φάσκοντας θύραθεν αὐτὸν ἐπεισιέναι, θεῖον καὶ 68ἀίδιον ὄντα. But nature, or growth, like an artificer, or (to speak more properly) like a consummate art, forms living creatures, by distributing the moist substance to the limbs and different parts of the body, the substance of life-breath to the faculties of the soul, affording them nourishment and endowing them with perception. We must defer for the present the faculty of reasoning, out of consideration for those who maintain that it comes in from without, and is divine and eternal.

- breath holds water together

[Tyler Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed On Creation quite a bit more than the 3 Allegorical Interpretation treatises. There is a turn made from seeing how the text narrates something harmonious in what it says, to how the text narrates something harmonious in what it 'means'. That may not be the right way to say it, but there is a significant difference between the two sets. I'm also curious to think through what Philo is really after in the Allegorical Interpretations. How much is it interpreting the text and how much is it making the points about well lived human life and ordering mind and soul? I was focusing on the English with an eye to the Greek (rather than reading the Greek) but still see a number of issues with the now dated translations. Still, a rich trip through a bit of Philo's world.

[Loren Kerns · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were going to read just one book written by Philo, this is the volume that I recommend. Most of his most important ideas and a number of classic examples of his interpretive approach are set out in De opificio mundi and Legum allegoriarum libri i‑iii.

While newer translations of these texts are coming out now, this volume remains a solid, readable text for the contemporary reader. The newer versions offer a updated introductions, a better critical apparatus, and language that better reflects the modern tongue.