THE BIBLICAL ANTIQUITIES OF PHILO

This app contains the apocryphal Biblical Antiquities of Philo by M. R. James.

Philo of Alexandria, also called Philo Judaeus, was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria, in the Roman province of Egypt.

Philo used philosophical allegory to harmonize Jewish scripture, mainly the Torah, with Greek philosophy. His method followed the practices of both Jewish exegesis and Stoic philosophy. His allegorical exegesis was important for some Christian Church Fathers, but he had very little reception history within the Rabbinic Judaism. He adopted allegorical instead of literal interpretations of the Hebrew Bible.

The Biblical Antiquities of Philo, dating from the late first century C.E. (after the destruction of the second temple, 70 C.E.) is attributed to the Jewish writer Philo. However, most scholars agree that it was not written by Philo, and it is hence sometimes called 'Pseuophilo'. Consisting of a retelling of the Hebrew Bible from Genesis to the end of 1 Samuel, Biblical Antiquities embellishes and often departs from the narrative as we know it today in small and large details. A little early to be called Midrash, Biblical Antiquities is one of the 'pseudepigrapha', writings on traditional Biblical subjects which were never canonized.

Pseudo-Philo is the name commonly used for the unknown, anonymous author of Biblical Antiquities. This text is also commonly known today under the Latin title Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum (Book of Biblical Antiquities), a title that is not found, per se, on the Latin manuscripts of Pseudo-Philo's Biblical Antiquities. Pseudo-Philo’s Biblical Antiquities is preserved today in 18 complete and 3 fragmentary Latin manuscripts that date between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries CE. In addition, portions of Pseudo-Philo's Biblical Antiquities parallel material also found in the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 14th century Hebrew composition; the Latin text of Pseudo-Philo’s Biblical Antiquities circulated in some Latin collections of writings by Philo of Alexandria. Scholars have long recognized the pseudonymous character of the text now known as The Biblical Antiquities of Philo.

Contents of this app include:

Introduction:

1. General

2. History Of The Book

3. Authorities For The Text

4. Title, And Attribution To Philo

5. Original Language

6. Date

7. Form

8. Purpose

9. Unity. Contents

10. Relation To Other Literature

11. Extent Of The Complete Book: The Lost Conclusion Discussed

12. Conclusion. Character Of The Present Edition

13. Synopsis Of The Contents

The Biblical Antiquities of Philo:

-Chapters 1 - 65

-Footnotes

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