Tag: Philo

Philo (20 BC – 50 AD), known also as Philo of Alexandria (Greek: Φίλων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς), Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, Yedidia, “Philon”, and Philo the Jew, was a Hellenistic Jewish Biblical philosopher born in Alexandria.
Philo used philosophical allegory to fuse and harmonize Greek philosophy and Jewish traditions. His method followed the practices of both Jewish exegesis and Stoic philosophy. He has barely any reception history within Judaism but his allegorical exegesis was important for several church fathers. “The sophists of literalness,” as he calls them, “opened their eyes superciliously” when he explained to them the marvels of his exegesis.
Some scholars hold that his concept of the Logos as God’s creative principle influenced early Christology. Other scholars, however, deny direct influence but say both Philo and early Christianity borrow from a common source. For Philo, Logos was God’s “blueprint for the world”, a governing plan.
The few biographical details…