Philo biography
Posted: Thu May 31, 2018 2:15 am
A new (2018) book, Philo of Alexandria: An Intellectual Biography, by Maren R. Niehoff, proposes that he had a change in philosophy after his mission to Rome.
A review is here:
http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2018/2018-05-36.html
I have just received a copy of the book. Though I have not always agreed with the author in the past (e.g., about her claim that the Jew presented by Celsus was drawn from an Alexandrian text, J. of Early Christian Studies v. 21 [2013] 151-175*), this book so far appears to be an ambitious and learned attempt at a diachronic analysis of Philo's many writings. "Appendix I: Philo's Date and Works," pp. 245-6, (boldly) proposes dividing Philo's works into two batches, the first ones circa 10-35 CE and then others in circa 40-49 CE. For example, Every Good Man is Free, thought by some earlier commentators to be an early work by Philo, she places in the second, later, batch.
* My view of Celsus:
http://people.duke.edu/~goranson/Celsus_of_Pergamum.pdf
A review is here:
http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2018/2018-05-36.html
I have just received a copy of the book. Though I have not always agreed with the author in the past (e.g., about her claim that the Jew presented by Celsus was drawn from an Alexandrian text, J. of Early Christian Studies v. 21 [2013] 151-175*), this book so far appears to be an ambitious and learned attempt at a diachronic analysis of Philo's many writings. "Appendix I: Philo's Date and Works," pp. 245-6, (boldly) proposes dividing Philo's works into two batches, the first ones circa 10-35 CE and then others in circa 40-49 CE. For example, Every Good Man is Free, thought by some earlier commentators to be an early work by Philo, she places in the second, later, batch.
* My view of Celsus:
http://people.duke.edu/~goranson/Celsus_of_Pergamum.pdf