Philo of Alexandria and His World

Catalog description

Philo, a Hellenized Jew, lived in Alexandria at the moment when Egypt saw the last of the Ptolemies (Cleopatra) and became a province of Rome. Philo developed, for the first time, a sophisticated allegorical interpretation of the Bible (which he read in Greek), that became the basis of Christian exegesis for centuries to come. He led a mission to Rome to defend the Jewish population of Alexandria at a time of conflict with the Greeks. We will read a variety of his works and situate them in the context of Jewish and Classical thought and the world of emerging Christianity. We will discuss issues such as the conjunction and clashes of Jewish and Greek cultures with the power of the Roman Empire, and examine different positions regarding politics, citizenship, the role of the individual in society, the value of human life, and more. Each meeting will consist of a mixture of lecture by the instructor and open discussion. Be ready to bring up questions and/or comments in class. This is a WRIT course and is open to all undergraduate students.