Torah from Alexandria: Philo as a Biblical Commentator

The intellectual fecundity present in Philo’s era was remarkable. He lived at one of the most creative times, as two of the greatest traditions—Semitic and Greek—were continuing to winnow the useful insights of their counterpart’s teachings, while they refined their own modes of thought and religious expression. This process had commenced three centuries earlier, when Alexander the Great conquered the Promised Land, but the philosophical unrest endured long after the military conquest concluded. Philo lived at a time much like our own, with people struggling to find their place in a world challenged by rivaling philosophies. Reclaiming Philo as a Jewish exegete puts him in company with the great luminaries of Jewish history—a position that Philo richly deserves. Philo remains as one of Jewish history’s most articulate spokespersons for ethical monotheism. Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel has meticulously culled from all of Philo’s exegetical comments, and arranged them according to the biblical verses. He provides extensive parallels from rabbinic literature, Greek philosophy, and Christian theology, to present Philo’s writing in the context of his time, while also demonstrating Philo’s unique method of interpretation.