Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

critical studies 2006 399
comparing Jewish and Greek tradition, and he saw Moses as ‘the original perceiver
of divine wisdom’ (p. 194), whose teachings underlay Greek philosophy.
Philo’s efforts, and especially his concept of the Logos, inadvertently provided
the philosophical foundation of Christianity; and the Essenes and Therapeutae,
whom he described, may have been models for early Christian monastic
groups. While one should appreciate the authors’ great enthusiasm for their
subject, readers may notice that the section on Philo contains mistaken references
and some assertions that should have been stated more tentatively.
(EB)
20672. B.Pouderon,‘PharosetCumes:deuxlieuxdepèlerinage
judéo-hellénistiques à l’époque de Constantin? enquête sur le témoignage
de la «Cohortatio ad Graecos» restituée à Marcel d’Ancyre,’ in
B. Caseau, J.-C. Cheynet and V. Déroche (edd.), Pèlerinages et lieux
saints dans l’ Antiquité et le Moyen âge: mélanges offerts à Pierre Maraval
(Paris 2006) 395–415.
Analysis of the twin descriptions of Pharos made by the author of the Cohortatio
attributed to Justin, a definite Jewish ‘place of memory’ and of the cave of
the Sibyl at Cumae, of which the religious links are more problematic. Connections
are made with the Letter of Aristeas and Philo for the former site, and with
the Theosophy of Tübingen, theSybilline Oracles and a scholion on Plato Phdr.
244b for the latter. (DTR; based on a summary in APh)
20673. R. Radice, ‘A proposito del rapporto fra Filone e gli stoici,’
Fortunatae 17 (2006) 127–149.
This study on the relationship between Philo and the Stoics leads to the conclusion
that Philo cannot be considered a ‘neutral’ source for Stoic thought, given
the fact that the texts on which he draws undergo both an exegetical and a philosophical
adaptation: exegetical inasmuch as Philo is bound to take into consideration
the biblical narrative; philosophical inasmuch as Philo’s perspective is of a
transcendent, Platonic nature. Once aware of this ‘deformation’, and having made
the necessary corrections of perspective, we can conclude, however, that in none
of the examined passages (Opif. 8,Sacr. 68, Leg. 2.22, Opif. 26, Migr. 180, Opif.
66f., Conf. 156, Spec. 1.32) does Philo violate the Stoic substance of his sources.
This is because the foundation of Philo’s allegorical method is essentially Stoic
(e.g.theunityand‘manywaysofbeing’ofGod,cf.thetheoryofthepowers).
(HMK; based on the author’s summary)
20674.J.Riaud,‘PâqueetsabbatdanslesfragmentsIetVd’Aristobule,’
in C. Grappe and J.-C. Ingelaere (edd.), LeTempsetlestempsdansles
littératures juives et chrétiennes au tournant de notre ère (Leiden 2006),
esp. 112–113, 118–120.