Philo of Alexandria - Books and Journals

critical studies 1997 41
discusses a number of scholarly explanations of Philo’s (surprising) claim that
there is no myth in the Pentateuch, notably the one of G. Delling. The literalist
approach is evidenced by remarks of Josephus, whose theory and practice
are not without contradictions. Kamesar sets out to provide the theoretical
foundations for the literalist position, which in his view was based on an appeal
to literary genre. Such a ‘generic’ solution to the problem of apparent myth
in the Pentateuch stands in stark contrast to the solution generally associated
with Hellenistic Judaism and Philo involving an attempt to ‘heal’ the apparent
myth by means of an appeal to allegory, i.e. not a ‘generic’ but a hermeneutical
approach (pp. 180–181). In section V Kamesar considers by way of analogy
Proclus’ theory about Homer’s poetry in his Commentary on Plato’s Republic.
Section VI gives a ‘Summary and explanation of the origins and disappearance
of the literalist approach’. Judaeo-Hellenistic grammatikoi somewhere around
100 b.c.e. came to compare the Pentateuch with Greek works written in the
archaic age (such as of Empedocles and Hesiod), that is, not exclusively with
Homer, nor yet with Plato. Later on the literary texts which came to be most
often juxtaposed with the Pentateuch were the works of both Homer and Plato.
But before the domination of the allegorical approach, there was still significant
distance between these two, and there was room for a ‘literal’ Moses in that space
(p. 189). (HMK)
9738. A.Kerkeslager,Jewish Pilgrimage and Jewish Identity in Hellenistic
and Early Roman Egypt (diss. University of Pennsylvania 1997).
This study advances the understanding of ancient constructions of Jewish
identity through an analysis of the ways in which Jewish identity was expressed
in pilgrimage traditions in Greco-Roman Egypt. Literary, papyrological, epigraphic
and archaeological sources are used in a strongly comparative framework.
The longest chapter includes lengthy discussions of sources related to pilgrimage
to Mt. Sinai, including the Septuagint, Demetrius, Philo, Jubilees, Galatians,
Josephus, Eusebius, and others. These sources suggest that Jews in the
Greco-Roman period believed that Mt. Sinai was located in northwestern Arabia
near the city of Madyan (modern Al-Bad’). The study concludes that a number
of factors may have played a role in the diverse expressions of Jewish identity
in Egypt. Philonic evidence is used throughout and his use of ‘Arabia’ plays an
important role in the discussion of Philo’s view of the location of Mt. Sinai. For
the publication of a revised version of the dissertation see below 9857. (DTR;
based on summary supplied by the author)
9739. A. Kerkeslager, ‘Maintaining Jewish Identity in the Greek
Gymnasium: a ‘Jewish Load’ in CPJ 3.519 (= P. Schub. 37 = P. Berol.
13406),’ Journal for the Study of Judaism 28 (1997) 12–33, esp. 29ff.
The phallic humour of this papyrus is contextualised with reference to information
on circumcision and the mocking of Jews in Philo. (DTR)