Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

critical studies 2004 297
20431. J.M.Dines,The Septuagint, Understanding the Bible and its
World (London–New York 2004).
This compact but detailed introduction addresses the complex issue of what
the Septuagint (LXX) comprises, and includes chapters on descriptions of its
origins in the Letter of Aristeas and Aristobulus; questions about its dating,
location, and purpose; accounts of the Septuagint in Philo, Josephus, rabbinic
sources, and various Christian sources; later Jewish and Christian texts of the
Greek Bible; language and style of the LXX; interpretive uses of the LXX in
Jewish and Christian sources, including a brief comparison of the LXX and the
Masoretic text; and modern scholarly approaches to the LXX. Philo is discussed
for his account of the origins of the LXX (pp. 64–70) and his interpretive use of it
(pp. 140–141). With his suggestion that the translators were divinely possessed
and his claim that they each separately arrived at the identical translation,
Philo is the first to emphasize the miraculous and supernatural character of the
LXX. He also offers ‘the first sustained interpretation of the LXX’ (p. 141) and
considers the Greek Pentateuch (and probably the rest of the Greek Bible) to have
equal authority to the Hebrew original. Reviews: E. S. Gruen, SPhA 18 (2006)
205–215. (EB)
20432. G.Dorival,‘PolysémieetcontrarietédesenschezPhilon
d’Alexandrie: le cas de kairos et de logos,’ in A. M. Mazzanti and F.
Calabi (edd.), La rivelazione in Filone di Alessandria: natura, legge,
storia. Atti del VII convegno di studi del Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca su
Origene e la traditione alessandrina (Bologna 29–30 settembre 2003),
Biblioteca di Adamantius 2 (Villa Verruchio 2004) 289–294.
The author commences by setting out the basic meaning of καιρς,thefixed
moment, the given or the right time, and of λγς, the word or reason. The
meanings are found in Philo, but there are also new significations which find
their point of departure in ancient usage. He examines the meaning which
καιρς assumes in Spec. 1.56–64, Post. 122–123, Mut. 265 and QG 1.100. For
λγς he limits his enquiry to the passages where the Alexandrian exegete
comments on the book of Numbers: Cher. 14–17, Leg. 3.148–150, 242, Somn.
2.170–171, Conf. 56, Ebr. 72–75, Mut. 107–109, Post. 182–184, Spec. 1.9–31,
Sacr. 66–67, Leg. 3.102–103. (JR)
20433. L.H.Feldman,“Remember Amalek!” Vengeance, Zealotry,
andGroupDestructionintheBible,accordingtoPhilo,Pseudo-Philo,
and Josephus, Monographs of the Hebrew Union College 31 (Cincinnati
2004).
This study deals with the question of how the total elimination of the Amalekites
(Deut 25:29, 1Sam 15:3) is interpreted by Philo, Ps.Philo and Josephus. The
exegesis of the elimination of other groups—with or without God’s command—
is also discussed: the perishing of all animals and human beings in the flood