Charles Duke Philo

The Works of Philo Charles Duke Philo

Jacket Description/Back: The cover illustration depicts a piece of "gold glass" found near Rome. The menorah, or seven-branched lamp stand, was a popular symbol of Judaism and can be found on such famous architectural monuments as the Arch of Titus. The scene on this "gold glass" also shows other items of Jewish ritual significance, including the Ark of the Covenant flanked by two Lions, a "shofar" or trumpet, a palm branch, and an oil jar. Many of these items held strong messianic significance and figured prominently in the life of Israel, such as in the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). The photo appears courtesy of the Vatican Library and is used with permission. Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and indexes. Biographical Note: C. D. Yonge (1812-1892), a noted classicist and author of more than thirty-five works, studied classics at St. Mary Hall, Oxford. A professor of modern history and English literature at Queen's College, Belfast, from 1866 until the time of his death, Yonge also compiled a Greek-English lexicon. The present translation of the works of Philo first appeared in 1854-1855 in 4 volumes in Bohn's Ecclesiastical Library. Publisher Marketing: While it would not be correct to say that Philo's works have been "lost"--scholars have always known and used Philo--they have essentially been "misplaced" as far as the average student of the Bible is concerned. Now the translation of the eminent classicist C. D. Yonge is available in an affordable, easy-to-read edition, with a new foreword and newly translated passages, and containing supposed fragments of Philo's writings from ancient authors such as John of Damascus. The title and arrangement of the writings have been standardized according to scholarly conventions. A contemporary of Paul and Jesus, Philo Judaeus, of Alexandria, Egypt, is unquestionably among the most important writers for historians and students of Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianity. Although Philo does not explicitly mention Jesus, or Paul, or any of the followers of Jesus, Philo lived in their world. It is from Philo, for example, that we learn about how, like the Gospel of John, Jews (and Greeks) in the Greco-Roman world spoke of the creative force of God as God's "Logos." Philo, too, employs interpretive strategies that parallel those of the author of Hebrews. Most scholars would agree that Philo and the author of Hebrews are drawing from the same, or at least similar, traditions of Hellenistic Judaism. With these kind of connections to the world of Judaism and early Christianity, Philo cannot be ignored.

Contributor Bio:  Scholer, David M David M. Scholer is Professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary.