Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

critical studies 2000 137
earlier history book, Judaism from Cyrus to Hadrian. Part I is a chronological
survey of major sources during several different periods: Persian, early Greek,
later Greek (including Hasmonean), Roman, and Yavneh. Here Philo is discussed
briefly (pp. 89–92) in the chapter ‘Under Roman rule (63B.C.E.–70C.E.)’.
Part II covers special topics, including temple and priesthood; Scripture, prayer,
and synagogue; sects and movements; concepts of the Deity and spirit world;
prophecy, apocalypticism, the esoteric arts, and predicting the future; eschatologies
and ideas of salvation; messiahs; and Jews and Judaism in the Hellenistic
world. Philo is mentioned here in scattered places, but especially in the chapters
on concepts of the Deity and on messiahs. Part III by way of conclusion provides
a holistic perspective on Judaism in the Second Temple period. Bibliographies
are provided throughout. Reviews: L. H. Feldman, SPhA 14 (2002) 206–216.
(EB)
20027. V.Guignard,‘Lerapportd’Israelàl’histoiredansl’œuvre
de Philon d’Alexandrie,’ in L.-J. Bord and D. Hamidovic (edd.), De
Jérusalem à Rome: Mélanges offerts à Jean Riaud par ses amis, ses collègues
et ses anciens élèves (Paris 2000) 175–194.
Philo’s view of history is fundamentally sceptical. This is the reason that
messianism represents no more than a marginal part of his preoccupations.
Apart from Divine providence, to which he attaches great importance, he looks
above all to Rome when evoking the security and earthly prosperity of the Jews.
The particular concern that Providence shows towards Israel testifies to her
election. A sign of this election is the observance of the Law. This gives Israel
a separate state in history, because she is not subject to its ‘cyclical revolutions’.
(JR)
20028.C.T.R.Hayward,‘Philo,theSeptuagintofGenesis32:24–32
and the Name ‘Israel’: Fighting the Passions, Inspiration and the Vision
of God,’ Journal of Jewish Studies 51 (2000) 209–226.
Philo’s understanding of the etymology of Israel as ‘[the] one who sees God’
occurs frequently throughout his work and appears to derive from an earlier
tradition. Because the Septuagint is central to Philo’s exegesis, Hayward explores
how Philo uses the LXX in relation to his discussions of Israel. Although Philo
does not use the LXX to explain the link between Israel and ‘seeing God,’ he
draws from the LXX several other themes, which he develops in connection
with Israel. These themes include the portrayal of Jacob as a wrestler and athlete;
Israel’s name change as ‘a blessing uttered in prophecy’ (p. 215); and, especially,
Israel’s role as a ‘boundary figure’ between heavenly and earthly things—a role
similar to that played by the Logos, the high priest, and the first man. In addition,
Philo uses the episode at Bethel (Gen 28) rather than the one at Penuel (Gen 32)
to illustrate the experience of Israel as ‘the one who sees God.’ Underlying these
various complex associations may be an understanding of divine inspiration,
which Philo himself may have experienced. In turn, this experience may account