Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

376 part two
The place of grace in the works of Philo is discussed under the main heading
given as: ‘Philo on divine grace and human virtue’, with subheadings as ‘Grace
in creation and causation’; ‘Virtue as a gift’, and ‘The ascent of the soul’. In his
comparisons the author finds that both Philo and Paul emphasize the priority
of divine grace, as the originating cause of salvation, including human virtue,
but that there is a substantial difference in the theological framework in which
they place this grace. For Philo grace is the creative energy of God; for Paul it is
revealed and enacted in the Christ-event, and as such is an eschatological event
of a new creation. (TS)
20605.A.Birkan-Shear,‘‘DoesaSerpentGiveLife?’Understanding
the Brazen Serpent according to Philo and Early Rabbinic Literature,’
in I. H. Henderson and G. S. Oegema (edd.), The Changing Face of
Judaism, Christianity, and Other Greco-Roman Religions in Antiquity (=
FS Charlesworth), Studien zu den jüdischen Schriften aus hellenistischrömischer
Zeit 2 (Gütersloh 2006) 416–426.
The paper discusses interpretations of Num 21:4–9 given by Jewish writers in
the first centuries c.e. (Philo, Mishnah, Mekilta of Rabbi Yishmael, Targumim).
In Philo’s reading, the serpents that bite the Israelites represent pleasure: the
people wish to go back to Egypt, the incorporeal mass, and they die in a
spiritual sense. Beholding the bronze serpent of Moses heals them. In Philo’s
view, looking to the serpent means that they observe God Himself. The author
concludes that most sources deviate from the literal interpretation of Num 21:4–
9. (ACG)
20606. E. Birnbaum, ‘Two Millennia Later: General Resources and
Particular Perspectives on Philo the Jew,’ Currents in Biblical Research 4
(2006) 241–276.
This bibliographic essay, which focuses more or less on the past two decades,
begins with a brief survey of general resources on Philo, including bibliographies,
journals, series, monographs, and internet sites. After a consideration of
some research trends, the discussion turns to studies of Philo as a Jew. In contrast
to the mid-twentieth century, when the center of scholarly concern was
whether Philo was more fundamentally a Jew or a Greek, the more recent studies
approach him from several different perspectives. These include describing
Philo’s Judaism (‘the descriptive approach’); studying how he balances Jewish
and universal elements (‘the thematic approach’); comparing his writings
with other traditions (‘the comparative approach’); observing how he shapes his
presentations of Jews and Judaism to impress his readers (‘the presentational
approach’); and considering Philo’s attitudes toward others and examining the
relationship between his exegetical and historical writings (‘the socio-political
approach’). The essay concludes with a discussion of studies of Philo within
broader historical contexts, a summary of current trends, and suggestions for
future directions. (EB)