Other Writings/Traditions
- Other Writings/Traditions
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The Migration of Abraham is part of Philo’s Allegorical Commentary. It takes the first verses of Genesis 6 as its starting point. As analyzed by A., this composition illustrates how Philo made use of specific geographical locations, Abraham’s movement among them, as an allegory for spiritual travel. Philo negatively depicts specific places, such as “Haran” and “Chaldea,” characterizing them as stumbling blocks for those pursuing virtue. This is part of the process by which Philo elucidates the path Abraham had to follow in his movement toward God. On this journey, as A. highlights, Abraham had obstructive fellow travelers such as Lot and good companions like Isaac. Joseph is pictured by Philo as thriving in Egypt, which was, of course, the current home of Philo and his original audience.—L.J.G.
The Persian mystics meditated upon Moses and his meeting with Allah at Sinai. He is the model of one who walks toward the inextinguishable divine fire. Moses’s loss of consciousness (Sur 7:143) is the prototype of the mystical ecstasy. Finally, his meeting with al Khidr the wise (Sur 18:60) shows Moses as the model of the disciple who is called to perfection by obeying his master. Accordingly, believers are invited, like Moses, to undertake a 40-day retreat to follow the same progression. More negatively, the Persian poetic and didactic writings called Masnavi present Moses as more human. He is a prefiguration of Muhammad, a prophet and a legislator, but less merciful than Allah. Moreover, he promotes textual as opposed to spiritual knowledge, and is unable to rightly discern the divine judgment, denigrating some humble people that Allah favored.—P.P.
In the opening essay of the above volume, A. discusses the debated authenticity of the passage about John the Baptist in Josephus’s Antiquities (A.J. 18.5.2 [##116–118]). He argues that the passage is indeed a later interpolation and that Origen may have been the one responsible for composing the forgery. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.]
A. seeks to expand our knowledge about Philo of Alexandria’s illustrious family. In the process he explores their origins (they likely arrived in Alexandria from Judaea, mid-second century b.c.e.), exact names, titles (especially, alabarch and epitropus), and the sources of their wealth and power (international commerce, then tax collecting)—both [End Page 228] of which were enormous. A. devotes particular attention to Philo’s brother, Alexander the alabarch, and his nephew, Tiberius Julius Alexander. His discussion provides an enhanced view of the privileged world in which Philo himself wrote and a greater appreciation of the dazzling heights to which he and his family rose in the world of Rome’s Empire.—L.J.G.
In Gal 3:8 and 16, Paul cites promises made to Abraham—but which promises? Syntax and theme suggest that Paul is citing Gen 22:18 in the Galatians passages in order to remind his readers of the centrality of hope for a coming eschatological individual figure. According to Galatians, Abraham’s faith has the same object as Paul’s own, i.e the Christ. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.]
