Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

critical studies 2004 325
del Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca su Origene e la traditione alessandrina
(Bologna 29–30 settembre 2003), Biblioteca di Adamantius 2 (Villa Verruchio
2004) 15–32.
The author traces the origins of Philo’s allegorical method to the Stoic sphere,
and more specifically to the distinction between allegory and allegoresis, i.e.
between allegory as a practice and systematic allegory, in the form of a science,
which in his view can be found in Chrysippus. However, although the early
Stoics explained myth in terms of philosophical doctrine, they apparently did
not bother to give full credibility to the poets as authors and disseminators of
myth. This was the contribution of the Middle Stoa (and especially Posidonius),
with their theory of the golden age of humanity and the perfect wisdom of the
poets. The third part of the study focuses on the allegorists in both the Stoic
and the Peripatetic sphere, and also other exponents who take on certain essential
features of allegoresis, such as the systematic use of etymology, the specific
aim of apologetics, the attention given to non-Hellenic material and the adoption
of originally Stoic methods by non-Stoic philosophers. All these elements
came together, in different degrees, in Alexandrian Judaism, which developed
them in an original manner, particularly in the total identification of philosophy
with allegoresis. Its distinctive feature is its systematic and comprehensive
nature, including doctrines of creation and theology. Because of these features,
Jewish-Alexandrian allegory pre-empts much of the exegesis produced by later
Christian authors. (RR)
204101.I.Ramelli,G.LucchettaandR.Radice,Allegoria. Vol. 1,
L’età classica, Temi metafisici e problemi del pensiero antico. Studi e testi
98 (Milan 2004), esp. 40–45, 269–273.
The method of systematic allegory expressed by Chrysippus in SVF 2.1009
finds echoes in Philo, which demonstrates a line of continuity between the
two authors. At the same time there are significant differences, which can
be traced back to the fact that the Bible is conceived as an organic text of
philosophical wisdom. This means that Philonic allegory can be more systematic
and more complete, but less dependent on etymology. Above all it is able to
be innovative from the philosophical viewpoint, which distinguishes it from
classical Greek allegory that is limited to the confirmation of already existing
doctrines. (RR)
204102. P.Richardson,Building Jewish in the East, Supplements
to the Journal for the Study of Judaism 92 (Waco Tex.–Leiden 2004),
esp. 151–185.
A reprint and light revision of RRS 9369 as part of a collection of essays
which focuses on bridging the gap between archaeological and literary evidence
particularly in relation to buildings which have a religious function. (KAF)