Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

352 part two
20529.C.T.R.Hayward,Interpretations of the Name Israel in Ancient
Judaism and Some Early Christian Writings: from Victorious Athlete to
Heavenly Champion (Oxford 2005), esp. 156–219.
This survey demonstrates that Jewish exegetes’ interpretations of the name
‘Israel’ reflected their contemporary concerns about what was centrally important
to Jewish identity and that some Christians adapted (or may have adapted)
Jewish interpretations to suit their own purposes. Chapters cover the Hebrew
Bible, the Septuagint, Ben Sira, Jubilees, Philo, the Prayer of Joseph, Josephus,
Rabbinic texts, the New Testament, and Patristic passages. Philo most consistently
understands ‘Israel’ through the etymology ‘one who sees God.’ Even
though he never uses the LXX to support this understanding, his discussions
reflect several LXX themes in relation to Israel such as Jacob’s struggle, a link
between Jacob’s experience at Bethel in Gen 28 and his change of name in Gen
32, prophecy and prophetic inspiration, and Israel as a boundary figure between
heaven and earth, sometimes turned toward God, sometimes toward the world.
This last theme calls to mind the symbol of the high priest, who represents the
Jewish people as a whole, though Philo may also have included non-Jews among
those who can see God. The Temple is a place where God might be seen, and
Israel, ‘the one who sees God,’ is also the ‘suppliant race’ that has the Levitical
role to serve God. Combining this kind of contemplation and service, the Therapeutae
exemplify what it means to be ‘Israel.’ Hayward further discusses Philo’s
understanding of ‘Israel’ in relation to the Prayer of Joseph. Both sources, which
have important differences but also similarities, probably drew upon earlier Jewish
tradition. (EB)
20530. A. Hilhorst, ‘‘And Moses Was Instructed in All the Wisdom
of the Egyptians’ (Acts 7:22),’ in A. Hilhorst and G. H. van Kooten
(edd.), The Wisdom of Egypt: Jewish, Early Christian, and Gnostic Essays
in Honour of Gerard P. Luttikhuizen, Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity
59 (Leiden 2005) 153–176.
Hilhorst deals with the words of Stephen in Acts 7:21–22 that Moses was
instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. First, he asks what can be meant
by wisdom and what image the author may have had of Egypt. Secondly, he
discusses what Hellenistic Jews had to say about Moses’ education. It is Philo
who gives the most extensive picture of Moses’ education (Mos. 1.21–24). Moses
learns not only subjects belonging to the Greek encyclical education, but also
Egyptian hieroglyphs. Because in Acts Moses is only educated in the Egyptian
wisdom, but in Philo he also learns typical Greek subjects from Greek teachers,
the view that the author of Acts summarizes Philo’s portrayal cannot be correct.
Finally, Hilhorst refers to patristic readings of Acts 7:22, including Clement’s
summary of Philo’s account on Moses’ education at Str. 1.153.2–3. (ACG)
20531. M.Himmelfarb,‘TheTorahbetweenAthensandJerusalem:
Jewish Difference in Antiquity,’ in C. Bakhos (ed.), Ancient Judaism in