Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

206 part two
interpretation, covering Ps 105:16–22 and 1Maccabees 2; Hellenistic Jewish
sources, including Artapanus, Joseph and Aseneth, andJosephus’Jewish Antiquities;
Palestinian Jewish sources, including Jubilees and Ps.Philo; and negative
presentations of Joseph, including those of Philo (p. 214) and Genesis Rabbah.
Most of these depictions of Joseph are quite positive and highlight his resistance
to Potiphar’s wife and his exalted position in Egypt. Themes that reflect the concerns
of authors and readers include ‘the issue of intermarriage with Gentiles, the
continuing validity of the Jewish law and the need to promote unity’ (p. 215).
Philo is not discussed among the Hellenistic Jewish texts but only under the
section on negative interpretations. His treatment of Joseph is positive in Ios.,
in which he stresses Joseph’s powerful position in Egypt, and more negative in
Somn., in which he calls attention to Joseph’s arrogance and instability, perhaps
as a way of criticizing contemporary Roman rulers. (EB)
20229. M. Dulaey, ‘L’apprentissage de l’exégese biblique par Augustin.
Première partie: dans les années 386–389,’ Revue des Etudes Augustiniennes
48 (2002) 267–295, esp. 286.
It is very unlikely that Philo exerted influence on the exegesis that Augustine
gives of Gen 2:4–5 as he read it in the Vetus Latina. On the other hand, the
interpretation which he gives in De Genesi contra Manichaeos of the rivers Geon
andTigrisistheonefoundinLeg. 1.23. (JR)
20230. J. E. Dyck, ‘Philo, Alexandria and Empire: the Politics of
Allegorical Interpretation,’ in J. R. Bartlett (ed.), Jews in the Hellenstic
and Roman Cities (London 2002) 149–174.
The aim of the article is to explore the cultural and political dimensions of
allegorical interpretation as it is evidenced by the works of Philo, especially
the way in which it is embedded in the cultural politics of Alexandria on the
one side, and the imperial politics on the other. The essay takes the form of
critical reflections on David Dawson’s cultural critical reading of Philo, using
Daniel Boyarin as a third dialogue partner. The focus throughout the article,
however, is primarily on the work of Dawson, and the author reaches some
different conclusions. Far from revising Greek culture and imperial politics,
Dyck suggests, Philo in actual fact endorses it. To him, Philo represents ‘a
form of Judaism which had come to terms with a high degree of socio-cultural
and political assimilation and acculturation. Furthermore, it accommodated
Judaism to the dominant culture via practices such as allegorical interpretation
without abandoning its distinctive traditions and practices’ (p. 174). (TS)
20231. G.Ellia,L’expression de la vie intérieure chez Philon d’Alexandrie
(Mémoire de maîtrise Université Caën 2002).
The first part of the thesis is devoted to an examination of the exegetical
themes in Philo which are the most revealing in relation to the interior life. These