Best passages to read from Philo
Posted: May 30th, 2012, 9:40 pm
I'm looking to read some of Philo. His Greek is much more difficult than most authors. Are there some passages which are considered 'classic Philo' and relevant to the NT?
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Hi Louis,Louis L Sorenson wrote:I'm looking to read some of Philo. His Greek is much more difficult than most authors. Are there some passages which are considered 'classic Philo' and relevant to the NT?
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top ... lo-Judaeus - Britannica online. This has notes on the writings which give some guidance on which are regarded as the more important texts. From this http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top ... 5687/Works,l. “God”
In three passages Philo describes the Logos even as God:
a.) Commenting on Genesis 22:16 Philo explains that God could only swear by himself (LA 3.207).
b.) When the scripture uses the Greek term for God ho theos, it refers to the true God, but when it uses the term theos, without the article ho, it refers not to the God, but to his most ancient Logos (Somn. 1.229-230).
c.) Commenting on Genesis 9:6 Philo states the reference to creation of man after the image of God is to the second deity, the Divine Logos of the Supreme being and to the father himself, because it is only fitting that the rational soul of man cannot be in relation to the preeminent and transcendent Divinity (QG 2.62).
Philo himself, however, explains that to call the Logos “God” is not a correct appellation (Somn.1.230). Also, through this Logos, which men share with God, men know God and are able to perceive Him (LA 1.37-38).
The same resource says,1. Scriptural essays and homilies based on specific verses or topics of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), especially Genesis. The most important of the 25 extant treatises in this group are Allegories of the Laws, a commentary on Genesis, and On the Special Laws, an exposition of the laws in the Pentateuch.
As indicated above, I do not know from any reading of my own the answer to Louis' question, and I too would be interested in any guidance that might be given in response to it.Philo’s works are rambling, having little sense of form; repetitious; artificially rhetorical; and almost devoid of a sense of humour. His style is generally involved, allusive, strongly tinged with mysticism, and often obscure; this may be a result of a deliberate attempt on his part to discourage all but the initiated few.
I've seen Alex's response; I only have time for a very quick response, which may not be very helpful. I think that most readers of NT Koine who have never read Plato are likely to have trouble with Philo, no matter where they start. Two factors especially, I think, account for the difficulty: the vocabulary employed by Philo will include lots of words never before encountered, some of which may be guessed at intelligently by the root elements within them, but more often than not requiring consultation of a good lexicon (not just a glossary); the other factor is the periodic structure of his sentences -- they are long and commonly involve nesting of complex subordinate clauses. I personally found working through his treatise on the creation narratives, Genesis 1-3, De Opificio Mundi, difficult but very rewarding. It reveals so much of the rather strange, fascinating world-view of Alexandrian Platonizing Judaism.Louis L Sorenson wrote:I'm looking to read some of Philo. His Greek is much more difficult than most authors. Are there some passages which are considered 'classic Philo' and relevant to the NT?
Carl has not been active on the list for quite a while now. Practically anything by Plato will help, but I would particularly suggest the Republic since you have read the [Symposium[/i]. For Josephus Xenophon and some Thucydides would be helpful.Devenios Doulenios wrote: ↑October 20th, 2018, 3:30 pm I was musing on this topic the other day and found this old thread. Carl, I was wondering if there are certain works of Plato whose vocabulary are particularly helpful to master as a prep for reading Philo. I've read the Symposium and the Apology of Socrates--that is, some excerpts of the latter, in Stephen M. Beall's The Wisdom of Socrates Attic review grammar and reader (2013, pdf ed.). Philo and Josephus are both on my wish list for readings outside the NT, so any helps or advice for prepping for them is welcome. (However, any reference materials or books would have to be some freely available online, as I can't afford just now to buy anything. Nor do I have ready access to a good physical theological library.)
Δεβένιος Δουλένιος