Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

260 part two
if properly understood, indicates that Philo must have given two explanations
of the name αραδ. But at some stage this was corrupted into αραν in the
Armenian tradition. (DTR)
20370. P. Jeffery, ‘Philo’s Impact on Christian Psalmody,’ in H. W.
AttridgeandM.E.Fassler(edd.),Psalms in Community. Jewish and
Christian Textual, Liturgical, and Artistic Traditions, Society of Biblical
Literature. Symposium Series 25 (Atlanta 2003) 147–187.
Although psalms were probably sung during the Jewish worship service in
the Second Temple and in the synagogue, we do not have sufficient evidence to
conclude that Jewish singing of psalms, or psalmody, in either of these locales
had a direct influence on Christian psalmody. The group banquet, however,
was a form of worship shared by both Jews and Christians, and it is likely that
Philo’s account of the singing at the banquet of the Therapeutae has a direct
bearing upon psalm singing by later Christians. Philo’s account in Contempl.
displays a sophisticated understanding of music and reflects much in common
with musical practices at Greek symposia. Early Christians such as Clement,
Tertullian, Hippolytus and Eusebius describe similar kinds of singing after
meals, and the last-named author refers to Philo’s account explicitly. It is often
thought that Philo’s use of the word ‘antiphon’ denotes singing in alternation,
but Jeffery argues that Philo is instead referring to ‘two concurrent renditions
[by men and women] an octave apart’ (p. 171). Later Christians, however, were
unaware of Philo’s technical sense of the word and instead used ‘antiphon’ to
refer to alternating choirs. (EB)
20371. F. Kayser, ‘Les Ambassades Alexandrines à Rome (Ier –IIe Siecle),’ Revue des Etudes Anciennes 105 (2003) 435–468.
A careful reading of accounts of embassies, of Philo’s narrative in Legat., of
the Letter of Claudius to the Alexandrians and the polemical literature known as
the Acts of the Alexandrian martyrs, allows the author to sketch a rich tableau
of diplomatic relations between Rome and Alexandria in the first two centuries
of the Roman Empire. Precious information is furnished on the personalities
of the ambassadors and the purpose of the embassies, on the organization
of the Imperial cult, on protests relating to daily life and civic institutions,
and on the adjudication between communities. The profound gulf that existed
between the Greeks and Jews of Alexandria and the insolent behaviour of certain
Alexandrian citizens sometimes led to the transformation of imperial audiences
into veritable legal trials which resulted in the condemnation to death of a
notable citizen of the city. (JR)
20372. H.-J.Klauck,Religion und Gesellschaft im frühen Christentum.
Neutestamentliche Studien, Wissenschaflichte Untersuchungen zum
Neuen Testament 152 (Tübingen 2003), esp. 37–41.