Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

102 part two
Law. Philo uses the motif of the snake to create a contrast with the symbol of
lust; thus the brass snake represents σωρσνη (Leg. 2.79–81) or καρτερία
(Agr. 95–98). In contrast to Wisdom Philo concentrates on the figure of Moses.
1Cor 10 and John 3 place yet other aspects of the story in the foreground.
(DZ)
9908.D.D.Binder,Into the Temple Courts. The Place of the Synagogues
in the Second Temple Period, Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation
Series 169 (Atlanta 1999), passim.
In this dissertation the author studies literary, epigraphical and archaeological
sources contemporaneous with the period of the Second Temple. Due to his
more than two dozen references to synagogues, Philo of Alexandria is used as
one of the most important sources of information about Second Temple synagogues.
The book is divided in 7 main sections, dealing with the Sources, Terminology,
Palestinian synagogues, Diaspora synagogues, Synagogue functionaries,
Synagogue functions, and Sectarian synagogues (the Essenes, Therapeutae and
the Samaritans). It is concluded that the synagogues are not to be considered as
rivals to the Temple. The fact that Philo and Josephus could hold both institutions
in high esteem strongly speaks against such an oppositional relationship.
The synagogues should rather be viewed as an extension of the Temple; as subsidiary
sacred precincts that extended spatially the sacrality of the Temple shrine
and allowed Jews everywhere participation within the central cult, the shrine of
the Holy One in Jerusalem. (TS)
9909. L.BoffandJ.-Y.Leloup,Terapeutas del Desierto: De Filón De
Alejandría y Francisco de Asís a Graf Dürckheim (Santander 1999).
Spanish translation of the book summarized above at 9862 under the authorship
of J.-Y. Leloup, L. Boff and L. M. A. de Lima. (JPM)
9910.P.Borgen,‘TwoPhilonicPrayersandtheirContexts:anAnalysis
of Who is the Heir of Divine Things (Her.) 24–29 and Against Flaccus
(Flacc.) 170–175,’ New Testament Studies 45 (1999) 291–309.
Although Abraham’s prayer in Her. 24–29 has several distinctive features,
the similarities with the Hodayot suggestthatitisanAlexandrianexample
of the same kind of prayer. Flaccus’ prayer in Flacc. 170–175, and the whole
treatise Against Flaccus, belong to the writings which present the view that those
who attack God or God and His people suffer punishments. Writings of this
kind are the book of Esther and parts of the books of Daniel and 2Maccabees.
A parallel is also found in Rev 18. Abraham’s prayer illustrates how a cited
text in Philo’s Allegorical Commentary is interpreted by means of expository
paraphrases and elaborations in which various biblical texts are woven together.
In the treatise Flacc. the interpretation of the Laws of Moses in the practice
and crisis of communal life is the main issue. Flaccus’ exile and death were