Philo
Philo of Alexandria (; Ancient Greek: Φίλων, romanized: Phílōn; Hebrew: יְדִידְיָה, romanized: Yəḏīḏyāh; c. 20 BCE – c. 50 CE), also called Philō Judæus, was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria, in the Roman province of Egypt.
The only event in Philo's life that can be decisively dated is his representation of the Alexandrian Jews in a delegation to the Roman emperor Caligula in 40 CE following civil strife between the Jewish and Greek communities of Alexandria. The story of this event, and a few other biographical details, are found in Josephus and in Philo's own works, especially in Legatio ad Gaium (Embassy to Gaius) of which only two of the original five volumes survive..
Philo was a leading writer of the Hellenistic Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt. He wrote expansively in Koine Greek on philosophy, politics, and religion in his time; specifically, he explored the connections between Greek Platonic philosophy and late Second Temple Judaism. For example, he maintained that the Greek-language Septuagint and the Jewish law still being developed by the rabbis of the period together served as a blueprint for the pursuit of individual enlightenment.
Philo used philosophical allegory to harmonize the Hebrew Bible, mainly the Torah, with Greek philosophy. His method followed the practices of both Jewish exegesis and Stoicism. His allegorical exegesis was important for many Christian Church Fathers, but he had very little reception history within Rabbinic Judaism.. Many critics of Philo assumed his allegorical perspective, in contrast to Biblical Literalism, would lend credibility to the notion of legend over historicity. However, Philo often advocated a literal understanding of the Torah and the historicity of such described events, while at other times favoring allegorical readings.
Some scholars hold that his concept of the Logos as God's creative principle influenced early Christology. Other scholars deny direct influence but say that Philo and Early Christianity borrow from a common source. The thought of Philo was largely inspired by Aristobulus of Paneas and the Alexandrian School, concerning his work "Wisdom of Solomon" and the occupations of the Therapeutæ and the Essenes. Philo has never been claimed as a saint nor Doctor of the Church by the Catholic Church due to his Judaism, despite his significant influence on Christian Theology.
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