Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

158 part two
By means of two examples the author aims to demonstrate the interrelation
between exegetical method and disclosure of the world. Through allegorical
interpretation Philo can perceive the phenomena of the visible world as signs of
an invisible One. In interpreting Abraham’s way as farewell to the universe of the
senses (Abr. 68–88), Philo at the same time justifies allegorical understanding as
such. This shows the connection between cosmology, gnoseology and allegory.
In the gnostic movement (e.g. the Naassenes Hippolytus, Ref.5.7ff.)allegorical
interpretation serves the emancipation of the true Self. Here, the sensual world
no longer bears the traces of God as it does in Philo. (DZ)
20084. J. Whitman, ‘Present Perspectives: Antiquity to the Late Middle
Ages,’ in J. Whitman (ed.), Interpretation and Allegory: Antiquity to
the Modern Period (Leiden 2000) 33–70.
The function of the essay is to introduce the section ‘Antiquity to the Late
Middle Ages.’ The author aims to outline the variety of scholarly approaches to
interpretation and allegory during the past three or four decades. For the period
of antiquity he poses the question, ‘What constitutes the ‘unit’ of writing that is
to be analyzed?’ He then reviews the status of this question in relation to ancient
Homeric interpretation, Alexandrian allegorization of Jewish scripture, rabbinic
interpretation in its midrashic forms, and early Christian typology. Philo, discussed
on pp. 38–40, is said to have approached the spirit of Scripture through
‘continual engagement with the ‘letter’ of the law’—i.e., in both its narrative
and legal portions. The second part of the essay addresses the extent to which
allegorical interpretation might have ‘textures’ of its own. Here the literature
reviewed pertains to philosophic modes in medieval Islam, Jewish approaches
to philosophic allegory, Christian allegorization of ancient philosophic writing,
and philosophic attitudes toward signification in Christian Scripture. Reviews:
A. Kamesar, SPhA 16 (2004) 306–309. (EB)
20085. W.YangeandV.A.Russell,‘Philo,On the Embassy 80:
Caligula Dressing as Heroes?,’ JournalofAncientCivilizations(Changchun,
China) 15 (2000) 69–78.
Philo’s treatise Legat. appears to be especially prone to textual problems and
stylistic idiosyncracies. It is proposed that at Legat. 80wereadτς (τιμς)
πάντων ρων instead of τς (τιμς) πάντων ρων as conjectured by C-W
(mss. ρν). ‘Heroes’ is parallel to ‘demi-gods’, which Philo treats in §§78–
92. The suggestion of the emendation is preceded by an analysis of the use of
ρς in the treatise. (DTR)