Philo of Alexandria

328 texts · Page 3 of 37

The writings of Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 BCE -- c. 50 CE), a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who sought to harmonize Jewish Scripture with Greek philosophy. His allegorical interpretations of the Torah remain influential to this day.

When God Created and Armenia

Philo The Midrash of Philo 10:2

And one intriguing perspective comes to us from the writings attributed to Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher who lived in Egypt during the time of the Second Temple. In "Th...

CreationHeavenMiraclesWisdom

Creation of the World and Assyria

Philo The Midrash of Philo 11:1

Ever wonder why the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, sometimes seems to detour into what feels like... geography lessons? I mean, we’re talking about the creation o...

Creation

Tigris's Spiritual Journey

Philo The Midrash of Philo 11:2

Yet, when we delve into ancient Jewish thought, we find just that kind of imaginative, symbolic thinking. Let's take a journey to explore one such fascinating idea, found in the Mi...

SoulWisdomExile

Garden: Adam at the Dawn of Creation

Philo The Midrash of Philo 15:1

The Torah tells us in Genesis 2:15 that God placed man in Paradise "to till it and keep it." But...why? The Garden, Gan Eden, was, well, perfect. It was planted by God Himself. Wha...

CreationHeaven

The Tree of Life and Garden

Philo The Midrash of Philo 15:2

It's not just about blissful relaxation under the shade of the Tree of Life. According to the Midrash of Philo, there's a deeper lesson woven into the very act of tending the Garde...

HeavenAdam & EveTorah

The Garden of Eden

Philo The Midrash of Philo 16:1

"Thou shalt eat," He says, in the singular. A direct, one-on-one instruction. Simple enough. But then comes the prohibition, the big "Don't." And suddenly, the language changes. Go...

CreationHeavenWisdom

Ruth and the Origins of the World

Philo The Midrash of Philo 16:2

Philo of Alexandria, a fascinating Jewish philosopher who lived way back in the first century, grappled with this very idea. And in a text known as The Midrash of Philo 16, he unpa...

Creation

The Tree of Knowledge

Philo The Midrash of Philo 17:1

But…they eat the fruit, and they don't drop dead right then and there. So, what gives? What does "Ye shall surely die" really mean? That's a question that has kept Jewish thinkers ...

Creation

Maker of Heaven and Earth of Their

Philo The Midrash of Philo 17:2

Philo of Alexandria, that brilliant Jewish philosopher who lived around the time of Jesus, had some pretty compelling ideas about this. And they're not just philosophical musings; ...

Creation