Philo of Alexandria: On the Life of Abraham: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary PDF
Preview Philo of Alexandria: On the Life of Abraham: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary
PhiloofAlexandriaOntheLifeofAbraham Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series Generaleditor GregoryE.Sterling Associateeditor DavidT.Runia Editorialboard HaroldW.Attridge–EllenBirnbaum JohnDillon–AnnewiesVandenHoek–AlanMendelson ThomasTobin,S.J.–DavidWinston volume 6 Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesarelistedatbrill.com/pacs Philo of Alexandria On the Life of Abraham Introduction,Translation, andCommentary By EllenBirnbaum JohnDillon LEIDEN | BOSTON LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Names:Birnbaum,Ellen.|Dillon,JohnM.|Philo,ofAlexandria.DeAbrahamo. English Title:PhiloofAlexandria,OnthelifeofAbraham:introduction,translation,and commentary/byEllenBirnbaum,JohnDillon. Description:Leiden;Boston:Brill,2021.|Series:PhiloofAlexandriacommentary series,1570-095X;volume6|Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.| Summary:“OntheLifeofAbrahamdisplaysPhilo’sphilosophical,exegetical, andliterarygeniusatitsbest.Philobeginsbyintroducingthebiblicalfigures Enos,Enoch,Noah,Abraham,Isaac,andJacobasunwrittenlaws.Then, interweavingliteral,ethical,andallegoricalinterpretations,Philopresentsthe lifeandachievementsofAbraham,founderoftheJewishnation,intheformof aGreco-Romanbios,orbiography.EllenBirnbaumandJohnDillonexplain whyandhowthisworkisimportantwithinthecontextofPhilo’sownoeuvre, earlyJewishandChristianexegesis,andancientphilosophy.Theyalsooffera newEnglishtranslationanddetailedanalyses,inwhichtheyelucidatethe meaningofPhilo’sthought,includinghisperplexingnotionthatIsrael’s ancestorswerelawsinthemselves”–Providedbypublisher. Identifiers:LCCN2020005056(print)|LCCN2020005057(ebook)| ISBN9789004423633(hardback)|ISBN9789004423640(ebook) Subjects:LCSH:Philo,ofAlexandria.|Philo,ofAlexandria.DeAbrahamo.| Abraham(Biblicalpatriarch)|Bible.Genesis–Criticism,interpretation,etc. Classification:LCC B689.Z7P4632021(print)|LCC B689.Z7(ebook)| DDC222/1106–dc23 LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2020005056 LCebookrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2020005057 TypefacefortheLatin,Greek,andCyrillicscripts:“Brill”.Seeanddownload:brill.com/brill‑typeface. ISSN1570-095X ISBN978-90-04-42363-3(hardback) ISBN978-90-04-42364-0(e-book) Copyright2021byKoninklijkeBrillNV,Leiden,TheNetherlands. KoninklijkeBrillNVincorporatestheimprintsBrill,BrillHes&DeGraaf,BrillNijhoff,BrillRodopi, BrillSense,HoteiPublishing,mentisVerlag,VerlagFerdinandSchöninghandWilhelmFinkVerlag. Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,translated,storedinaretrievalsystem, ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise, withoutpriorwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher.Requestsforre-useand/ortranslationsmustbe addressedtoKoninklijkeBrillNVviabrill.comorcopyright.com. Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaperandproducedinasustainablemanner. ForDonald, myκοινωνὸςὄντωςβίου, “partnertothetruestextentinlife” ToDavidWinston, formanyhappyhoursspenttogetherincompanywithPhilo ∵ Contents GeneralIntroductiontothePhiloofAlexandriaCommentarySeries ix GregoryE.Sterling Preface xvi Abbreviations xix Introduction 1 1 ThePlaceoftheTreatiseinPhilo’sWorks 1 2 ThePlaceoftheTreatiseinPhilo’sLife 12 3 Genre,Aims,andAudience 20 4 Structure,Content,andExegeticalApproaches 29 5 UseandInterpretationoftheBible 34 6 MajorThemes 51 7 IntellectualandCulturalInfluences 60 8 PreviousScholarship 66 9 SharedandDistinctiveFeaturesandTheirImplications 72 10 Nachleben 77 11 TheTextoftheTreatise 79 12 SomeNotesontheMethodUsedintheTranslationand Commentary 80 Translation:PhiloofAlexandria,OntheLifeof Abraham PartOne:Introduction,§§1–59 87 PartTwo:TheLifeofAbraham,§§60–276 101 NotestotheTextandTranslation 137 Commentary TitleoftheWork 141 PartOne:Introduction,§§1–59 145 A Prologue,§§1–6 147 Chapter1:GenesisandtheLivingLaws,§§1–6 147 viii contents B TheFirstTriad,§§7–47 155 Chapter2:Enos,TheManofHope,§§7–16 155 Chapter3:Enoch,TheManofRepentanceandImprovement, §§17–26 164 Chapter4:Noah,TheManofPerfection,inHisGeneration,§§27–47 173 C TheSecondTriad 189 Chapter5:TheHigherTriadofPatriarchs,§§48–59 189 PartTwo:TheLifeofAbraham 205 A ThePietyofAbraham 207 Chapter6:TheMigrationsofAbraham,§§60–88 207 Chapter7:AbrahamandSarahinEgypt,§§89–106 231 Chapter8:TheVisitoftheThreeStrangers,§§107–132 250 Chapter9:TheDestructionoftheSodomiteCities,§§133–166 277 Chapter10:TheSacrificeofIsaac,§§167–207 302 B TheHumanityofAbraham,§§208–261 333 Chapter11:TheDisputewithLot,§§208–224 333 Chapter12:Abraham’sVictoryovertheKings,§§225–244 348 Chapter13:TheVirtuesandDeathofSarah,§§245–261 368 C Conclusion,§§262–276 394 Chapter14:AdditionalEncomiaofAbraham,Epilogue,§§262–276 394 Bibliography 411 1 PhiloofAlexandria 411 2 OtherPrimarySources 414 3 ModernScholarlyLiterature 421 IndexofBiblicalPassages 441 IndexofPhilonicPassages 447 IndexofOtherPrimarySources 461 IndexofModernScholars 471 IndexofGreekTerms 476 IndexofSubjects 478 General Introduction to the Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series Philo of Alexandria (c. 20BCE–c. 50CE) was a member of one of the most prominentfamiliesof thelargeandinfluentialJewishcommunityinAlexan- dria.WeknowmoreabouthisbrotherandhisfamilythanwedoaboutPhilo. Hisbrother,GaiusJuliusAlexander,heldaresponsiblegovernmentalposition (Josephus, AJ18.159,259;19.276–277;20.100)andmayhavebeenasubstantial propertyowner(CPJ 420aand420b)aswellasthemanagerof theEgyptian estates of Julia Augusta, the mother of the emperorTiberius (CPJ 420b). He hadprobablybecomeknowntotheemperor’sfamilythroughHerodianinter- mediaries(Josephus, AJ 19.276–277).Hispraenomenandnomensuggestthat thefamilywasassociatedinsomewaywithGaiusJuliusCaesar.Itmaybethat Caesar granted Roman citizenship to Alexander’s grandfather for assistance duringtheAlexandrianWar(48–47BCE).Alexandermadethemostofhisposi- tionandcontactsandbecameexceptionallywealthy(Josephus,AJ20.100).He onceloaned200,000drachmastoAgrippaI(Josephus,AJ18.159–160).Hecov- erednineofthetempledoorsinJerusalemwithgoldandsilver(BJ5.201–205), anactof patronagethatattestshisimmenseresourcesaswellashiscommit- ment to Judaism.The rabbis later report that he had aTorah scroll with the namesofGodingoldletters(Sop.1.9andSep.Torah1.9). Alexander’ssocialandeconomicstandingisconfirmedbytherolesof his twosons.ThearchiveofNicanorsuggeststhatMarcusJuliusAlexander,Alexan- der’syoungerson,wasactiveintheimport-exportbusinessthatmovedgoods from India and Arabia through Egypt to theWest. He married Berenice, the daughterof HerodAgrippaIandlaterpartnerof theemperorTitus,butdied prematurelyc.43CE(Josephus,AJ19.276–277).HisolderbrotherTiberiusJulius Alexander had one of the most remarkable careers of any provincial in the firsttwocenturiesof theRomanEmpire.Tiberiusmovedthroughaseriesof lower posts until he held governorships in Judea, Syria, and Egypt.When he backedVespasianintheFlavian’sbidforthethrone,hiscareerquicklyroseto itsapex:heservedasTitus’schiefofstaffduringtheFirstJewishRevoltin66– 70CE (Josephus, BJ 5.45–46; 6.237) and as prefect of the praetorian guard in Romeafterthewar(CPJ418b).Whilehiscareerstrainedhisrelationshipwith hisnativeJudaismtothebreakingpoint(Josephus,AJ20.100;Philo,Prov.and Anim.),itatteststhehighstandingofthefamily. Themostfamousmemberofthisremarkablefamilywasparadoxicallyprob- ablytheleastknowninwidercirclesduringhislife.Thisisundoubtedlydueto x general introduction thecontemplativenatureofthelifethathechose.Hischoicewasnottotal.He mayhavehadsomecivicfunctionintheJewishcommunity.Atleastthiswould helptoexplainwhytheAlexandrianJewishcommunityselectedhimtoserve onthefirstJewishdelegationtoRomeafterthepogrominAlexandriain38CE, adelegationthatprobablyincludedhisbrotherandoldernephew(Legat.182, 370; Anim. 54).The political arena was not, however,where his heart lay; he gavehishearttothelifeoftheintellect(Spec.3.1–6).Heundoubtedlyreceived afulleducationthatincludedtraininginthegymnasium,theephebate,and advancedlecturesinphilosophyandrhetoric.Hisphilosophicaltrainingwasof enormousimportancetohisintellectualformation.Whileheknewandmade useofdifferentphilosophicaltraditionssuchasStoicismandPythagoreanism, hisbasicorientationwasPlatonic.MiddlePlatonism(c.80BCE–c.220CE)had becomeavibrantintellectualmovementinAlexandriainthefirstcenturyBCE, especially in the work of Eudorus (fl. 25BCE). Philo became convinced that PlatoandMosesunderstoodrealityinsimilarways,althoughhewasunequiv- ocalaboutwhosawitmostclearly.HiscommitmenttoJudaismisevidentin histrainingintheLXX:heknewitwiththeintimacyofonewholivedwithit fromthecradle.Healsoknewtheworksof someof hisJewishliteraryprede- cessorssuchasAristobulus,Pseudo-Aristeas,andEzekielthetragedian.Hewas awareofasignificantnumberofotherJewishexegetestowhomhealludedin hiscommentaries,butalwaysanonymously(Opif.26,77,andMigr.89–93).The mostprobablesocialsettingforhisliteraryworkisaprivateschoolinwhichhe offeredinstructioninmuchthesamewaythatphilosophersandphysiciansdid. Thiswaslikelyinhisownprivateresidence,butasettinginahouseofprayer (synagogue)cannotberuledout. Oneofthewaysthathetaughtwasthroughwriting.Histreatisesconstitute oneofthelargestGreekcorporathathascomedowntousfromantiquity.We knowthathewrotemorethanseventytreatises:thirty-sevenof thesesurvive inGreekmanuscriptsandnine(ascountedinthetradition)inaratherliteral sixth-centuryArmeniantranslation.Wealsohaveexcerptsofanotherworkin Greekandfragmentsof twomoreinArmenian.Thelosttreatisesareknown fromreferencestothemintheextanttreatises,gapsinhisanalysesofthebib- licaltextsinthecommentaryseries,andtestimonia. Thetreatisesfallintofivemajorgroups:threeseparatecommentaryseries, thephilosophicalwritings,andtheapologeticwritings.Thethreecommentary seriesarePhilo’sownliterarycreations;thephilosophicalandapologeticseries aremodernconstructsthatgroupconceptuallysimilarbutliterarilyindepen- denttreatises. The heart of the Philonic enterprise lay in the three commentary series. Each of these was an independent work with a distinct rationale and form.
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