The Jewish Plato

Volume 1: The Life and Writings of Philo of Alexandria
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-3-16-163553-3
Verlag: Mohr Siebeck

Buch, Englisch, 790 Seiten, Leinen, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 232 mm

Reihe: Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament

In Band 1 dieses dreibändigen Werkes zu Philo von Alexandria und der Wirkung seines Denkens untersucht Gregory E. Sterling Leben und Werk Philos, neben Josephus der wichtigste Zeuge des griechischsprachigen Judentums in der Zeit des Zweiten Tempels. Philos Schriften lassen sich in fünf Gruppen gliedern: die Quaestiones et solutiones zu Genesis und Exodus, der Allegorische Kommentar, die Darlegung des Gesetzes, apologetische Traktate sowie philosophische Abhandlungen. Der Autor zeigt, dass in den drei Kommentarsammlungen exegetische Traditionen eingebettet sind, die nicht nur frühere jüdische Ausleger widerspiegeln, sondern auch Traditionslinien, welche jüdische Autoren wie Josephus, die frühen Christen und sogar platonische Philosophen beeinflussten. Gestützt auf dreieinhalb Jahrzehnte der Forschung erschließen die 36 Beiträge dieses Bandes die gesamte Bandbreite der Bedeutung Philos. Der Autor entwirft auf der Grundlage Strabons eine Beschreibung Alexandrias, legt eine umfassende Sammlung der Zeugnisse für die jüdische Gemeinde der Stadt vor und kontrastiert sie mit der jüdischen Gemeinde Jerusalems. Darüber hinaus bietet er einen Überblick über die Rolle der Philosophie innerhalb der alexandrinisch-jüdischen Gemeinschaft und rekonstruiert Philos Leben vor dem Hintergrund seiner Familie. Sodann untersucht er Philos Verhältnis zum Judentum der Zeit des Zweiten Tempels insgesamt und argumentiert, dass seine philosophische Exegese zwar das Werk eines privilegierten Individuums war, seine Schriften jedoch belegen, dass er andere jüdische Texte kannte und dass andere Juden wie Josephus die seinen kannten. Ferner vertritt der Autor die These, Philo habe in seinem Haus eine private Schule der Exegese betrieben, und analysiert die Stellung von De vita Mosis innerhalb seines Œuvres. Abschließend legt er eine der umfassendsten Analysen von Philos fragmentarischen Hypothetica vor.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sterling, Gregory E.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Part One: Introduction
1. "Why Philo Matters."
2. "Introduction."

Part Two: Alexandria and the Alexandrian Jewish Community
3. "'The Largest and Most Important Part' of Egypt: Alexandria according to Strabo."
4. "'Thus are Israel': Jewish Self-Definition in Alexandria."
5. ""Judaism between Jerusalem and Alexandria."
6. "'The Jewish Philosophy': The Presence of Hellenistic Philosophy in Jewish Exegesis in the Second Temple Period."

Part Three: Philo and His Family
7. "'Pre-eminent in Family and Wealth': Gaius Julius Alexander and the Alexandrian Jewish Community."
8. "Tiberius Julius Alexander."
9. "Philo of Alexandria."

Part Four: Philo and Judaism
10. "Magister or Maverick?: Philo and Alexandrian Judaism."
11. "Recherché or Representative? What is the Relationship between Philo's Treatises and Greek-Speaking Judaism?"
12. "Philosophy as the Handmaid of Wisdom: Philosophy in the Exegetical Traditions of Alexandrian Jews."
13. "Different Traditions or Emphases: The Image of God in Philo's De opificio mundi ."
14. "Was there a Common Ethic in Second Temple Judaism?"
15. "From the Thick Marshes of the Nile to the Throne of God: Moses in Ezekiel the Tragedian and Philo of Alexandria."
16. "'A Man of the Highest Repute': Did Josephus Know the Writings of Philo?"

Part Five: Philo's School of Sacred Laws
17. "'The School of Sacred Laws': The Social Setting of Philo's Treatises."
18. "Philo's School: The Social Setting of Ancient Commentaries."
19. "The School of Moses in Alexandria: An Attempt to Reconstruct the School of Philo."
20. "Philo's Library and the Libraries of Philosophical Schools."

Part Six: The Corpus Philonicum
21. The Corpus Philonicum
22. "Philo's Quaestiones : Prolegomena or Afterthought?"
23. " Quaestiones in the Allegorical Commentary of Philo of Alexandria."
24. "'Prolific in Expression and Broad in Thought: Internal References to Philo's Allegorical Commentary and Exposition of the Law."
25. "The Structure of Philo's Allegorical Commentary."
26. "The Complexities of Philo's Corpus: The Unity of De gigantibus and Quod Deus immutabilis sit ."
27. "Psychagogy in Pedagogy: Abraham as a Model for Virtue in Philo of Alexandria's De Abrahamo ."
28. " In utramque partem : The Literary Shape of a Philonic Dialogue."

Part Seven: The Life of Moses
29. "Philo of Alexandria's Life of Moses : An Introduction to the Exposition of the Law."
30. "A Human sui generis : Philo of Alexandria's De vita Mosis ."
31. "Thunderous Silence: The Omission of the Sinai Pericope in Philo of Alexandria."
32. "It is Elemental: Miracle Stories in Philo's Life of Moses ."

Part Eight: The Hypothetica
33. "In Fragments: The Authenticity of the Hypothetica ."
34. "Philo and the Logic of Apologetics: An Analysis of the Hypothetica ."
35. "Universalizing the Particular: Natural Law in Second Temple Jewish Ethics."
36. "The Most Admired Jewish Group in Antiquity: Philo on the Essenes."

Part One: Introduction
1. "Why Philo Matters."
2. "Introduction."

Part Two: Alexandria and the Alexandrian Jewish Community
3. "'The Largest and Most Important Part' of Egypt: Alexandria according to Strabo."
4. "'Thus are Israel': Jewish Self-Definition in Alexandria."
5. ""Judaism between Jerusalem and Alexandria."
6. "'The Jewish Philosophy': The Presence of Hellenistic Philosophy in Jewish Exegesis in the Second Temple Period."

Part Three: Philo and His Family
7. "'Pre-eminent in Family and Wealth': Gaius Julius Alexander and the Alexandrian Jewish Community."
8. "Tiberius Julius Alexander."
9. "Philo of Alexandria."

Part Four: Philo and Judaism
10. "Magister or Maverick?: Philo and Alexandrian Judaism."
11. "Recherché or Representative? What is the Relationship between Philo's Treatises and Greek-Speaking Judaism?"
12. "Philosophy as the Handmaid of Wisdom: Philosophy in the Exegetical Traditions of Alexandrian Jews."
13. "Different Traditions or Emphases: The Image of God in Philo's De opificio mundi ."
14. "Was there a Common Ethic in Second Temple Judaism?"
15. "From the Thick Marshes of the Nile to the Throne of God: Moses in Ezekiel the Tragedian and Philo of Alexandria."
16. "'A Man of the Highest Repute': Did Josephus Know the Writings of Philo?"

Part Five: Philo's School of Sacred Laws
17. "'The School of Sacred Laws': The Social Setting of Philo's Treatises."
18. "Philo's School: The Social Setting of Ancient Commentaries."
19. "The School of Moses in Alexandria: An Attempt to Reconstruct the School of Philo."
20. "Philo's Library and the Libraries of Philosophical Schools."

Part Six: The Corpus Philonicum
21. The Corpus Philonicum
22. "Philo's Quaestiones : Prolegomena or Afterthought?"
23. " Quaestiones in the Allegorical Commentary of Philo of Alexandria."
24. "'Prolific in Expression and Broad in Thought: Internal References to Philo's Allegorical Commentary and Exposition of the Law."
25. "The Structure of Philo's Allegorical Commentary."
26. "The Complexities of Philo's Corpus: The Unity of De gigantibus and Quod Deus immutabilis sit ."
27. "Psychagogy in Pedagogy: Abraham as a Model for Virtue in Philo of Alexandria's De Abrahamo ."
28. " In utramque partem : The Literary Shape of a Philonic Dialogue."

Part Seven: The Life of Moses
29. "Philo of Alexandria's Life of Moses : An Introduction to the Exposition of the Law."
30. "A Human sui generis : Philo of Alexandria's De vita Mosis ."
31. "Thunderous Silence: The Omission of the Sinai Pericope in Philo of Alexandria."
32. "It is Elemental: Miracle Stories in Philo's Life of Moses ."

Part Eight: The Hypothetica
33. "In Fragments: The Authenticity of the Hypothetica ."
34. "Philo and the Logic of Apologetics: An Analysis of the Hypothetica ."
35. "Universalizing the Particular: Natural Law in Second Temple Jewish Ethics."
36. "The Most Admired Jewish Group in Antiquity: Philo on the Essenes."

Über Autor(innen)

Sterling, Gregory E.
Geboren 1954; 1990 Promotion an der Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA; Rev. Henry L. Slack Dean und Lillian Claus Professor für Neues Testament an der Yale Divinity School sowie Distinguished Fellow an der Hebräischen Universität Jerusalem.

Born 1954; 1990 PhD from The Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA; the Rev. Henry L. Slack Dean and the Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School and Distinguished Fellow, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.