CHAPTER ONE

PHILO AND HIS WORLD

1he man and his family

In a presentation of Philo as an exegete for his time it is necessary first to characterize the person and his outlook. Although the sources do not give us much information about Philo himself, some points can be collected from various places in his writings and also in the writings of . Philo was a prominent member of the Jewish community of Alex­ andria, the largest Jewish settlement outside Palestine. 1 The only cer­ tain date known from his life comes from his account of the great pogrom in Alexandria which started in AD. 38 under the prefect F1accus, during the reign of the Roman emperor Gaius . Philo was then chosen to head adelegation of five men (Legat. 370) sent in AD. 39/40 by the Jewish community to Gaius Caligula in Rome.2 They were to report to Emperor Gaius Caligula on the suffer­ ings of the and present their claims (Legat. 178-79). Philo's mission failed, and the Emperor sent the envoys away as foolish people who refused to believe that he had the nature of a god (Legat. 367). Gaius Caligula died in AD. 41, and his successor, Claudius, issued an edict to normalize conditions in Alexandria. Claudius confirmed the par­ ticular religious and judicial rights of the Jews, but denied them equal rights with the Greek citizens.3 A few other datable events are found in his writings. In Alexander, or Whether the Animals Have Reason 27, Philo speaks of the celebrations in various places given by Germanicus Iulius Caesar, probably in A.D. 12, when he entered on his first term of consulship. The horse race account in Anim. 58 is found also in Pliny Historia Naturalis 8: 160-

I Legat. 182. Concerning Philo's family and life, see especially Schwartz (1953) 591-602 and Schwartz (1967) 35-44. 2 See Schürer (1973) 1:388-98, and Schürer (1986) 3:1, 136-37. According to Josephus, Ant. 18:257, the Jewish and the Greek embassies each consisted of three men. 3 Schürer (1973) 388-98. PHILO AND HIS WORLD 15

61, where the event is said to have occurred during the games of Claudius Caesar in AD. 47. There are points In Philo's writing which indicate that he had also been engaged in the political 1ife of the Jewish community in Alex­ andria earlier in his life. It is impossible, however, to give a precise description of his function. In a rather general way he says that envy had p1unged him into the ocean of civil cares, Spec. 3: 1-5. It seems c1ear that his engagement in politics was reluctant. He advises his fellow:Jews to be cautious in their dealings with the non:Jewish politi­ cal authorities (Somn. 2:78-92).4 Philo belonged to one of the wealthiest Jewish families in Alex­ andria. Josephus teIls that Philo's brother, Alexander, was "foremost among his contemporaries at Alexandria both for his family and his wealth" (Ant. 18:259 and 20: 100). Alexander was probably chief of customs (alabarch) and guardian of the Emperor Claudius' mother's properties in Egypt (Ant. 19:276 and 20:100). Alexander was rich enough to lend money to the Jewish king Agrippa 1 and his wife Cypros (Ant. 18:159-60), and to plate the gates of the Temple of Jerusalern in gold and silver (J. W 5:205). Alexander's son Marcus Julius Alexander ran a large business firm which had important business dealings with Arab countries and India. He married Berenice, the daughter of king Agrippa (Ant. 19:276-77).5 Another son of Alexander, Tiberius Iulius Alexander, was born ca. AD. 15. He had a public career which took hirn to the highest post of a Roman official in Egypt, that of prefect (AD. 66-70). He had then already served as procurator of JudJlea (AD. 46-48) and served as chief of staff under during the siege of Jerusalem AD. 70.6 From Josephus we learn that he deserted his Jewish reli­ gion (Ant. 20: 100).

4 See Goodenough (1938) 5-7. For similar views among some Pharisees, see Alon (1977) 18-47. ; See Fuks (1951) 207-16. MarcusJulius Alexander was one of the best customer of Nicanor and his family. 6 Schürer (1973) 1:456-57.