Philo of Alexandria

328 texts · Page 34 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.

Sarah Wrestles the Angel

Philo The Midrash of Philo 9:1

Take Hagar, for example. Poor Hagar. A handmaiden, caught in the middle of Sarah and Abraham's struggle to have a child. She runs away into the desert, desperate and alone. And the...

CreationAngels

Weight of the Soul

Philo The Midrash of Philo 9:2

Like there's a surface narrative, and then... something deeper, waiting to be uncovered? That's precisely what the ancient sages believed about the Torah. They saw layers upon laye...

SoulWisdom

Kingdom of Hagar and Ishmael

Philo The Midrash of Philo 11:1

The verse in question, from Genesis 16:10, has an angel speaking to Hagar, Sarah's handmaid, who is pregnant with Abraham's child, Ishmael. The angel says, "I will multiply thy see...

CreationAngels

Crown of Wisdom

Philo The Midrash of Philo 11:2

Philo, the great Jewish philosopher of Alexandria, grappled with this very idea centuries ago. In his writings, often called "The Midrash of Philo" by scholars, he touches upon the...

Wisdom

Abraham Isaac and Jacob of Hagar

Philo The Midrash of Philo 15:1

And they gave us a whole treasure trove of interpretations, embellishments, and downright fascinating tales to flesh things out. Today, let's dive into just one tiny verse, just a ...

CreationPatriarchs

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Philo The Midrash of Philo 1:1

It’s a question that takes us to the heart of how we understand ourselves in relation to the world, and even to God. Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher living in Roman Egypt...

Creation

Torah and Creation of Jubilee

Philo The Midrash of Philo 1:2

He offered some truly unique insights. Philo, in his allegorical style, sees deep meaning behind seemingly simple words and numbers. In this particular passage, he examines the sig...

TorahTempleSoulWisdom

Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Philo The Midrash of Philo 1:8

Let’s dive into a fascinating interpretation from the Midrash of Philo, a collection of interpretations attributed to the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria. The passage in que...

CreationNoah & FloodTorahPrayer

Faith of Abraham

Philo The Midrash of Philo 3:1

We find him in Genesis 17:3, and the Torah tells us, "Abraham fell on his face." But... why? What was going on in that moment that caused Abraham, the patriarch, the man of faith, ...

CreationPatriarchs