Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

238 part two
J. H. Ulrichsen (edd.), Neotestamentica et Philonica: Studies in Honor of
Peder Borgen, Supplements to Novum Testamentum 106 (Leiden 2003)
307–329.
According to D. Dawson, Alexandrian Jewish writers use allegorical interpretation
to present the best of Greek culture as originally Jewish and thus
to portray the Jews as more learned than the Greeks. Testing this claim in a
study of the Letter of Aristeas, the fragments of Aristobulus, and the works of
Philo, the author concludes that Dawson is only partially correct. The allegorical
and non-allegorical parts of these works reflect a variety of stances: not
all allegorizations that depict the Jews as superior—especially those in Aristeas
and Philo—necessarily draw upon originally Greek meanings. Many allegorical
interpretations—particularly those of Aristobulus and Philo—are simply
neutral about the Jews, while the non-allegorical parts of these works may
express Jewish superiority. By contrast, Philo sometimes uses allegorical interpretations
to imply equality between Jews and all wise and virtuous peoples,
regardless of ancestry. Such equality is suggested as well in non-allegorical parts
of both Aristeas and Philo. Birnbaum also considers whether allegorical interpretations
in Aristeas and Philo may reflect contemporary Alexandrian society,
and she focuses on Mos. 1.65–70 and Congr. 118 as specific Philonic examples.
While often suggestive, such correlations between exegesis and social reality
must remain speculative. (EB)
20313. L.BoffandJ.-Y.Leloup,Iterapeuti del deserto. Da Filone di
Alessandria e Francesco d’Assisi a Graf Dürckheim (Milan 2003).
Italian translation of the Portuguese original = 9862; also published in a
Spanish version = 9909.(HMK)
20314. G. Bohak, ‘The Ibis and the Jewish Question: Ancient ‘Anti-
Semitism’ in Historical Perspective,’ in M. Mor and A. Oppenheimer
(edd.), Jewish-Gentile Relations in the Periods of the Second Temple, the
Mishna and the Talmud (Jerusalem 2003) 27–43.
This article argues for the desideratum of ‘a comprehensive study of ethnic
stereotypes in the ancient world’ (p. 41); the lack of such research has fostered
errant views and judgments of ancient ‘anti-Semitism’ due to insufficient
contextualization within the range of Greek and Roman attitudes toward barbarian
nations in general. The bulk of the discussion is devoted to a survey
of a complex of Greco-Roman attitudes toward Egyptian culture and worship.
Though there are few direct references to Philo’s writings (pp. 34, 36, 39), the
issue discussed is of immediate import to all students of Hellenistic Judaism.
(DS)
20315. P.Borgen,‘TheGospelofJohnandPhiloofAlexandria,’in
J. H. Charlesworth and M. A. Daise (edd.), Light in a Spotless Mir-