Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

188 part two
20174. G. E. Sterling, ‘Ontology versus Eschatology: Tensions between
Author and Community,’ in D. T. Runia and G. E. Sterling (edd.),
In the Spirit of Faith: Studies in Philo and Early Christianity in Honor
of David Hay [= The Studia Philonica Annual 13 (2001)], BrownJudaic
Studies 332 (Providence RI 2001) 190–211, esp. 199–204.
After sketching the status quaestionis with regard to the possible relationship
between Philo and the Epistle to the Hebrews, the author formulates his
intention with this article as follows: to ‘address the relationship between Platonic
ontology and Christian eschatology in Hebrews by examining the use of
the tabernacle in Heb 8:1–10:18’. A detailed analysis of Heb 8:1–5, 9:1–10, 9;11,
9:23–24 and 10:1 is followed by a discussion of the tabernacle in Philo (including
a comparison with Josephus’ description) and in apocalyptic traditions.
In Hebrews a vertical/spatial orientation (in line with Platonic ontology) and
a linear/temporal orientation (of Christian eschatology) can be distinguished.
The author is ‘convinced that the spatial dimension is indebted to Platonizing
exegetical traditions’. His conclusion is that Hebrews ‘does not reflect a profound
understanding of Platonism; it only betrays a knowledge of Platonizing exegetical
traditions. (. . .) It indicates that Platonism (. . .) had become common coin in
some exegetical circles among Jews and Christians. This means that Philo should
not be read as a solitary figure, but as the most sophisticated representative of a
larger tradition of exegesis.’ (HMK)
20175. J.E.Taylor,‘TheCommunityofGoodsamongtheFirst
Christians and among the Essenes,’ in D. Goodblatt, A. Pinnick and
D. R. Schwartz (edd.), Historical Perspectives; from the Hasmoneans to
BarKokhbainLightoftheDeadSeaScrolls(Leiden 2001) 147–161.
The author discusses texts from Acts about the community of life among
the first Christians. They had a radical form of common life and property. This
description is compared with Philo’s text about the Essenes in the Hypothetica
preserved by Eusebius (PE 8.11). Taylor concludes that the way of life of the
Christians as described in Acts closely resembles that of the Essenes. (ACG)
20176. J. E. Taylor, ‘Virgin Mothers: Philo on the Women Therapeutae,’
Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 12 (2001) 37–63.
Philo’s De vita contemplativa is a highly rhetorical piece and it is valuable
to explore the relation between the rhetoric and the historical reality to which
it points. Taylor’s article, which explores themes dealt with at greater length
in her subsequent monograph (see below 203122), focuses on the role of
women in Philo’s account. It is plain that Philo’s purpose was to describe the
members of the Therapeutae community as ‘good’. But how could he do this
in the case of the women members and at the same time hold on to his own
gender theory, in which women were regarded as less philosophical? In the
first part of the article Philo’s conception of women in general is treated. The