Thomas in Alexandria?

M. David Liwa has published an article in which he discusses if it is possible to locate the origin of both the Gospel and the Book of Thomas in Alexandria. And similarity to an issue in Philo’s work is one of his arguments.

M. David Litwa, ‘Thomas in Alexandria: Arguments for Locating the Gospel and Book of Thomas in Alexandria,’ Journal of Biblical Literature 143.1 (2024) 163-183.

Abstract: “In this article, I argue that the Gospel of Thomas and the Book of Thomas were composed in Alexandria, Egypt. For the Gospel of Thomas, I examine the manuscript attestation and quotations of the gospel from known Alexandrian figures (e.g., Julius Cassianus, Basilideans) and texts (the Gospel according to the Egyptians), and from texts that are arguably Alexandrian (e.g., the Testimony of Truth, Excerpts from Theodotus, and the Naassene discourse). With respect to the Book of Thomas, I examine the treatise’s use of the tradent Matthias, the Philonic paradigm of the spiritual athlete, the use of the Alexandrian Apocalypse of Peter, and distinctive overlaps with other Alexandrian figures and texts. Determining the provenance of anonymous ancient texts is hypothetical, but the most reliable and precise evidence for the Gospel and Book of Thomas supports a composition in Alexandria more so than it does the regions of Edessa, Jerusalem, or Antioch.”

Bringing Philo Home

A very interesting article by René Bloch has been published recently. It deals with the reception of Harry A. Wolfson’s Philo I-II (1947):

René Bloch, ‘ Bringing Philo Home: Responses to Harry A. Wolfson’s Philo (1947) in the Aftermath of World War II,’ Harvard Theological Review 116.1 (2023) 466-489.

Abstract: “In 1947 Harry Austryn Wolfson published his massive and revisionary Philo: Foundations of Religious Philosophy in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. With the book, Wolfson aimed at proving that Philo was an innovative and highly influential philosopher—by no means an isolated Jew of no consequence to the history of philosophy. As becomes clear from numerous letters written to Wolfson on the occasion of the publication of the book and stored at the Harvard University Archives, for Jewish readers Wolfson’s proposed rehabilitation of Philo could provide a point of orientation. It served as a source of comfort and of pride in the post-war years. While the main thesis of Wolfson’s book, Philo as the precursor of medieval philosophy, was rejected by most scholars of Philo and ancient philosophy, the letters and notes discussed in this article show that much more was at stake than a purely academic discussion.”

Philo and allegorical interpretation

Răzvan Perșa, ‘Philon of Alexandria and his allegorical interpretation,’ Romanian Orthodox Old Testament Studies 9 (2023) 91-95.

Other interpretative studies from this tradition can be found here: Articles.

On the Change of Names -New Commentary!

Michael Cover, On the Change of Names: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary (Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series, Vol. 8). Leiden: Brill, 2024. Hardback/PDF: EUR  €219.00. xxxiv + 630 pp. (hardback version to be published in March)

Abstract: “In the treatise On the Change of Names (part of his magnum opus, the Allegorical Commentary), Philo of Alexandria brings his figurative exegesis of the Abraham cycle to its fruition. Taking a cue from Platonist interpreters of Homer’s Odyssey, Philo reads Moses’s story of Abraham as an account of the soul’s progress and perfection. Responding to contemporary critics, who mocked Genesis 17 as uninspired, Philo finds instead a hidden philosophical reflection on the ineffability of the transcendent God, the transformation of souls which recognize their mortal nothingness, the possibility of human faith enabled by peerless faithfulness of God, and the fruit of moral perfection: joy divine, prefigured in the birth of Isaac.”

Congratulations to the author and editors of this series! Every commentary is so welcome and such a treasure of information and viewpoints. My only wish is that they all were somewhat (a lot) cheaper to buy. Yeah, I know I have said that more than once, but to be honest: €219 is a lot of money for a book!

A new Index to Philo

Sean A. Adams & Zanne Domoney-Lyttle, The Philo of Alexandria Scripture Index (Studia Philonica Monographs, 9) Hardback – Paperback-Kindle. 2023. 164pages.

A great event: a new index to Philo’s use of the Jewish Scriptures.

Abstract: “The Philo of Alexandria Scripture Index identifies and lists every instance in which Philo of Alexandria cites or alludes to passages from Jewish Scripture. With 7,831 references, this book is the most comprehensive study of its kind to date, presenting the data in both the biblical order and Philo’s treatise order. Sean A. Adams and Zanne Domoney-Lyttle provide a detailed introduction. Also included in this index are the Philo’s fragmentary works and those that survive only in the Armenian tradition. “

The Studia Philonica Annual 2023

The Studia Philonica 2023 is available, fully loaded with good scholarly articles and reviews focusing on Philo of Alexandria, his world and works. No-one wanting to stay updated on recent research on Philo should miss this Annual. Below is a list of the contents of the most recent issue, the 2023 edition:

ARTICLES
David T. Runia, Naming Philo of Alexandria’s Exposition of the Law 1
Tatjana AleknienĖ, Caïn et Abel dans l’œuvre de Philon d’Alexandrie:
Arrière-plan Platonicien 13
Sami Yli-Karjanmaa, Individualism, Universalism, and Mysticism:
Observations on Philo’s Views of Virtue 35
Dexter Brown, How Did the Israelites Get Their Weapons? An Overlooked
Solution to a Famous Literary Zetema in Philo’s Life of Moses 67
Jesse Mirotznik, Philo’s Literary Use of the Apologoi 89
Erkki Koskenniemi, Philo and Rome: A Dramatic Change in His
Thoughts? 115

SPECIAL SECTION: PHILO’S DE CHERUBIM
Annewies van den Hoek, Introduction 139
Anne Boiché, “Distinguishing Differences between Things”:
On Philo’s Method in De Cherubim 145
Olivier Munnich, La Cohérence du De cherubim: La Notion
d’Acquisition 159
Michael B. Cover, The Poetics of Association: Secondary and Tertiary
Texts in the Thematic Development of Philo’s De Cherubim 177
Justin M. Rogers, A Little Cain in All of Us: De Cherubim and the Character
of Cain 201
Sean A. Adams, Philo of Alexandria on the Difference between
Philosophers and Sophists 211
INSTRUMENTA
David T. Runia, Yury Arzhanov, and Alexander Treiger,
References to Philo of Alexandria in Greek, Latin, Syriac, and Arabic
Literature up to 1500 CE 229

BIBLIOGRAPHY SECTION
D. T. Runia, M. Alesso, E. Birnbaum, A. C. Geljon, H. M. Keizer,
J. Leonhardt-Balzer, O. Munnich, M. R. Niehoff, J. M. Rogers,
S. Yli-Karjanmaa, Philo of Alexandria: An Annotated

Bibliography 2020 259
Supplement: A Provisional Bibliography 2021–2023 311

BOOK REVIEW SECTION
Jeffrey M. Hunt, De vita Mosis I: An Introduction with Text, Translation,
and Notes. Reviewed by Gregory E. Sterling 335
René Bloch, Ancient Jewish Diaspora: Essays on Hellenism
Reviewed by Erich S. Gruen 338
Jason A. Staples, The Idea of Israel in Second Temple Judaism: A New
Theory of People, Exile, and Israelite Identity
Reviewed by Ellen Birnbaum 342
Radka Fialová, JiŘí Hoblík, and Petr Kitzler, eds., Hellenism, Early Judaism,
and Early Christianity. Transmission and Transformation of Ideas
Reviewed by Justin M. Rogers 347
Daniel Maier, Das Glück im antiken Judentum und im Neuen Testament
Reviewed by David T. Runia 350
Ryan Heinsch, The Figure of Hagar in Ancient Judaism and Galatians
Reviewed by Per Jarle Bekken 354
Torrey Seland, Crossing Borders: The Life and Work of Peder Borgen in
Context. Reviewed by David T. Runia 358

Apophatic and Anthropomorphic Visions of God in Philo

Scott D. Mackie, ““Apophatic and Anthropomorphic Visions of God in Philo of Alexandria,” Verbum Vitae: Negative Theology: From Anthropomorphism to Apophaticism 41.3 (2023): 529–546.”

Abstract: “Despite his core theological convictions that God is incorporeal, formless, invisible, and unchangeable, in some of his most carefully crafted visio Dei texts Philo portrays God “changing shape” and temporarily adopting a human form. However, these are only “seeming appearances” and actually involve God projecting a human-shaped “impression,” or “appearance” (φαντασία) from his shapeless, immaterial being. By accommodating the overwhelming reality of God’s being to the perceptual and conceptual limitations of the human percipient, these docetic theophanies allow humans to more confidently relate to the deity, while at the same time preserving God’s absolute transcendence and apophatic otherness.”

The Epistle to the Hebrews and Philo

Sigurd Grindheim, (2023). “Direct Dependence on Philo in the Epistle to the Hebrews”. Novum Testamentum, 65(4), 517-543. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/15685365-bja10054

The Norwegian scholar Sigurd Grindheim has published an article dealing with the possible influence in the Epistle to the Hebrews from Philo’s works. I have not read it yet, but the topic and the abstract below contain so many suggestions that I hope to get my hands on in the near future.

Abstract: “The near consensus opinion that the author of Hebrews was not directly influenced by Philo needs to be reevaluated. Even though there are no obvious cases of borrowing, the cumulative weight of the evidence indicates a more linear relationship than what may be accounted for by situating them both within Hellenistic Judaism. A number of parallels are sufficiently detailed to suggest direct dependence. These parallels are of a formal character, such as the metaphor of the dagger and the particular use of the terms ὑπόστασις, ἀρχηγός, τελειόω, ἄθλησις, τεχνίτης, and δημιουργός, as well of a material nature, concerning the development of key ideas, such as the eternal nature of the Son, his Melchizedekian high-priesthood, and the perception of the heavenly sanctuary.”

Oneness, Unity, and the One God

Jutta Leonhardt-Balzer, ‘The Number One: Oneness, Unity, and the One God in Philo of Alexandria,’ in Stephen C. Barton & Andrew J. Byers, eds., One God, One People: Oneness and Unity in Early Christianity (Atlanta, GA: SBL Press, 2023), pp. 127-144.

“Jutta Leonhardt-Balzer makes a unique contribution in her analysis of Philo’s carefully reasoned and often surprising understanding of oneness. While he draws on a range of philosophical traditions, Philo’s rationale is chiefly grounded in an arithmological theology in which “one” signifies God. Like the Creator, “one” is the independent, unmixed, and ungenerated generator of the other numbers. It is only when human beings are unified in their worship of the one God that their collective oneness is welcome, and this unity can include not only faithful Jews but proselytes from other ethnicities. Oneness is therefore sourced in the one God and finds proper social expression as humans orient their lives and worship around him.” Summarized by Andrew J. Byers, Introduction: Oneness and Unity in Worlds Contemporary and Ancient,’ pp. 1-12, here quoted from p. 5.

More on Philo . . .

There is, of course, more than one website ‘out there’ focusing on Philo and related studies. One that I follow regularly (and often copies from…) is https://filonalejandria.com/. It is very informative, especially for those of us who are not fluent in Spanish. The site is “part of the Research Projects of the National University of La Pampa, aimed at the translation, academic study and dissemination of the work, life, and thought of Filón de Alejandría, and scientific research around his production.” Here are a couple of its recent annotations:

Schwartz, D. R. (2023). “Reinach and Stephanus, Philo and Josephus. A Note on the Testimonium Flavianum”. En: Brouria Bitton-Ashkelony, Martin Goodman (eds), Essays on Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity in Honour of Oded Irshai. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 205-218. Online only: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1484/M.CELAMA-EB.5.132490

Flaig, C. (2023). “Insatiable souls: Philo of Alexandria’s readings of food”. Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, Volume 66, Issue 1, pp. 40–47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bics/qbad008

Abstract: “While Philo of Alexandria maintained that the pleasure that stems from the consumption of food can overstimulate human desire, he attributed great philosophical significance to the symbolism of food. On the one hand, in De specialibus legibus 4, the food that is permitted for consumption in the Torah is open to philosophical explanation and inspires learning; on the other, Philo connects what he considers to be the most godlike part of humans—the intellect—with a kind of intellectual nourishment, which is accompanied by a transformed pleasure that is not—and cannot be—excessive. In this chapter, I suggest that Philo adopted Platonic food imagery to differentiate between different layers of desire for and enjoyment of food. This, in turn, was a way to articulate the difference, and also the mediation, between the intellectual (noetic) and the sense-perceptible cosmos.”