Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

critical studies 2006 397
20666. M. R. Niehoff, ‘Philo’s Contribution to Contemporary Alexandrian
Metaphysics,’ in D. Brakke, A.-C. Jacobsen and J. Ulrich
(edd.), Beyond Reception. Mutual Influences between Antique Religion,
Judaism, and Early Christianity, Early Christianity in the Context of
Antiquity 1 (Frankfurt 2006) 35–55.
The author argues that in Aet. Philo made a significant contribution to
the contemporary Alexandrian discourse by stressing the literal meaning of
Plato’s Timaeus, which had since Aristotle predominantly been understood
metaphorically. For this purpose Philo adduced Aristotle’s witness in De Caelo
and quoted some other, probably Alexandrian interpretations of the Timaeus.
His position in Aet. significantly correlates with his exegesis in Opif. Fora
response to this paper see the paper of K. Fuglseth summarized above at 20628.
(MRN)
20667. C.O’Brien,‘PlatonismandtheToolsofGod,’Trinity College
Dublin Journal of Postgraduate Research 6 (2006) 60–72.
Although Philo’s name is not mentioned in the title, most of the article focuses
on his thoughts on the instrumental role of the divine Logos in the process
of creating and structuring the cosmos. The analogy is with tools used by a
craftsman or an architect. The main theme examined is the ‘Logos-cutter’ in Her.,
which, it is concluded, is a distinctively Philonic concept effectively combining
elements from Platonist and Judaic sources. There are also some remarks on the
agricultural imagery applied to the cosmos in Plant. In Neoplatonism the ideas
of divine tools were replaced by the notion of procession. In Gnostic thought,
too, divine hypostases are not generally regarded as instruments, but rather as
aspects of God. (DTR)
20668. J. Peláez, ‘El judaísmo helenístico, en especial el alejandrino,’
in A. Piñero (ed.), Biblia y Helenismo. El pensamiento griego y la formación
del cristianismo (Córdoba 2006) 103–127.
This extensive and well documented study examines Christianity from the
perspective of its origins, with the history of the encounter between Hellenism
and Bible forming the central perspective. Within this context the author presents
a brief description of the thought and development of the Jewish community
in Alexandria with special reference to Philo. (JPM)
20669. L. Pernot, ‘La vie exceptionnelle de Joseph d’après Philon
d’Alexandrie, De Iosepho,’ in M. Fartzoff, É. Geny and É. Smadja (edd.),
Signes et destins d’élection dans l’ Antiquité (Besançon 2006) 147–165.
After briefly recalling the exceptional traits of Joseph as presented in Gen
37–50, the author argues that Philo’s Joseph is not a monolithic figure fixed in
his biblical perfection and the subject of unvarying general admiration. On the