Reading Philo

Philo of Alexandria was one of the foremost thinkers of his time and renowned as a theologian, philosopher and politician. He was a contemporary of both Jesus and the apostle Paul, so his writings are important sources for understanding ancient Judaism, early Christianity and the general intellectual climate of that era. The introduction characterises him as a Jew whose theological reflections are embedded in Greek, Hellenistic and Roman patterns of thought, basing his principles on Moses (Sophia) and Plato (Logos). The book is one for scholars and consists of an explanation of his context and reasons why and how to study his work, for instance in relation to the New Testament and the patristic tradition. His understanding of the soul owes a great deal to Plato (p. 123), but he also drew ideas from Aristotle. So far as the development of early Christianity is concerned, some scholars regard his work as the single most important body of material for understanding first and second century Christianity. Indeed, another scholar remarks that if the works of Philo had just been discovered, they would be considered of comparable importance to the Dead Sea Scrolls.