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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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language, so as to preserve <strong>the</strong> greatest delicacy.®<br />

<strong>The</strong>se instances might be multiplied, but <strong>the</strong> above<br />

•Ber.B.ra will sufBce.<br />

In his symbolical interpretations Philo only<br />

partially took <strong>the</strong> same road as <strong>the</strong> Rabbis. <strong>The</strong><br />

symbolism <strong>of</strong> numbers <strong>and</strong>, so far as <strong>the</strong> Sanctuary<br />

was concerned, that <strong>of</strong> colours, <strong>and</strong> even<br />

materials, may, indeed, be said to have its<br />

foundation in <strong>the</strong> Old Testament itself. <strong>The</strong> same<br />

remark applies partially to that <strong>of</strong> names. <strong>The</strong><br />

Rabbis certainly so interpreted <strong>the</strong>m.' But <strong>the</strong><br />

application which Philo made <strong>of</strong> this symbolism<br />

was very different. Everything became symbolical<br />

in his h<strong>and</strong>s, if it suited his purpose : numbers (in a<br />

very arbitrary manner), beasts, birds, fowls,<br />

creeping things, plants, stones, elements,<br />

substances, conditions, even sex—<strong>and</strong> so a term or<br />

an expression might even have several <strong>and</strong><br />

contradictory meanings, from which <strong>the</strong> interpreter<br />

was at liberty to choose.<br />

From <strong>the</strong> consideration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> method by which

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