336 passages in Hellenistic Jewish Writers
Individual passages from The Midrash of Philo, shown in source order. Page 6 of 7.
In a fascinating passage attributed to Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher who lived in the first century CE, we find a powerful explanation for why readers often feel so…emp...
Surprisingly, this feeling isn't exactly new. to a fascinating ancient text called "The Midrash of Philo." Now, when we say midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), It's not jus...
That image – of falling on one's face – becomes incredibly potent when we explore the story of Abraham. The Midrash of Philo, an ancient commentary attributed to Philo of Alexandri...
The verse in question, from (Genesis 6:13), states that "all things which existed upon the earth shall be consumed." But why? The text grapples with this apparent injustice. One ex...
It turns out, even Abraham, our forefather, might have had a moment of… well, not exactly doubt, but perhaps profound wonder. The Torah tells us, in (Genesis 17:17), after God prom...
God had just created Adam, this perfect being, in this perfect garden. What was missing? Well, the Midrash of Philo, a collection of ancient Jewish interpretations and elaborations...
The Midrash of Philo turns to Covenant of Noah. What does that even mean? A treaty? It sounds like something you sign between nations, not something between God and, well, one guy ...
In (Genesis 7:13), when describing who enters the ark, we read about Noah and his sons first, “and after them his wife and his sons’ wives.” But (Genesis 8:18) flips the script whe...
It's like when you're telling a story, and you suddenly realize one particular character is way more important to the plot than you initially thought. Take Noah, for example. We kn...
Take the covenant God makes with Abraham in Genesis 15. It's a big moment. God promises Abraham this whole huge swathe of land for his descendants. But then it gets…well, geographi...
One such moment comes to us in (Genesis 17:18). Abraham, after hearing God's promise of a son, Isaac, through Sarah, turns to God and says, "O may my son Ishmael live before thee!"...
It's not about bloodlines or earthly possessions, according to Philo. It's something far more profound. Philo, in his Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), tackles this very ...
Ancient interpreters saw layers of meaning in every detail, even the order in which people entered and exited the ark. Philo, a Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, writing in the 1...
Philo, in this particular midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), is confronting the story of Noah and his sons. You know, the flood, the ark, the whole deal. But he focuses on...
The ancient sages certainly did. to a fascinating interpretation from the Midrash of Philo that uses geography to explain the pursuit of happiness itself. Philo, a Jewish philosoph...
Our ancestor Abraham knew that feeling well. We find him in a fascinating moment in the Midrash of Philo, confronting hope, faith, and the very definition of a "blessing." Philo, t...
It’s something that’s been pondered for centuries, and even makes an appearance in ancient Jewish texts. The Midrash of Philo, a collection of interpretations and elaborations on t...
There’s a fascinating little corner of Jewish thought that suggests a truly different picture of those early days. It’s tucked away in the Midrash of Philo, a collection of interpr...
The question is simple: Why does the creation of animals and flying creatures get mentioned again after we already had the whole six-day creation story in Genesis 1? It seems a bit...
The verse that phrase alludes to, of course, comes from (Genesis 3:19), part of the consequences faced by Adam after eating from the Tree of Knowledge. God tells him, "Till you ret...
Like the universe is saying, "Okay, sure, but are you really ready for this?" That's the kind of vibe I get from this little nugget of a midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) ...
Ancient Jewish wisdom has something profound to say about that very human struggle. Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish philosopher living in Egypt in the first century CE, offered a uni...
Philo, the great Jewish philosopher of Alexandria, who lived in the first century CE, offers some mind-bending insights. In his Midrash of Philo, he suggests that those things crea...
After all, this is God Surely, the Almighty doesn't need Adam's help with a little taxonomy. (Genesis 2:19) tells us "He brought the animals to Adam, that he might see what he woul...
What does it mean to name something? The book of Genesis gives us a glimpse into this very idea. In (Genesis 2:19), it says, "And whatever Adam called each living thing, that was t...
Even Adam, the first human, apparently felt that way. The Torah tells us that God paraded all the animals before Adam (Genesis 2:19-20). Adam named them, categorizing them, underst...
It’s such a simple act, naming, but in that moment, Adam isn't just labeling. He’s making a profound statement. Why that name? Why "Life"? (Genesis 3:20) tells us, "Adam called his...
The Torah tells us, in (Genesis 7:19), about the flood: “And the water overflowed fifteen cubits above all the highest mountains.” Simple enough The first reading. But if we dig a ...
It must have been overwhelming. And the very first thing he does? He builds an altar. But here's the kicker – God didn't tell him to! So, why did Noah build an altar without being ...
Take Noah, for example. The familiar story is this: the ark, the flood, the animals two-by-two. But then, (Genesis 9:20) hits us: "Noah began to be a cultivator of the earth." Okay...
The earth beneath his feet, the rivers flowing nearby, the vast ocean, the air he breathed, the very light that illuminated his path, the heavens above… all were at his service. Ev...
Take the very first name ever given to a woman: Chava, or as we know her, Eve. Philo, the great Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, Egypt, writing around the first century CE, give...
It's a story of a new beginning, a re-creation of sorts. Philo compares Noah to Adam, the first human formed from the earth. Just as Adam began cultivating the land after creation,...
That feeling, that impulse – it gets to the heart of what it means to be truly grateful, and what it means to connect with the Divine. The Midrash of Philo touches on this very poi...
Why the Torah Uses Different Names for God on Purpose is the question behind this passage from The Midrash of Philo. The core idea? When the text describes acts of kindness, creati...
He sacrifices some animals. End of story. But what if there was a deeper meaning hidden within those verses? That's what the Midrash of Philo explores when it asks about (Genesis 8...
The Torah tells us, quite simply, that "Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard" (Genesis 9:20). Seems straightforward. But this simple verse sparks a fascinatin...
One of those answers, found in a text called The Midrash of Philo. Specifically, Sounds simple. But the rabbis, those master interpreters of scripture, saw layers upon layers of me...
The Torah actually tells us something much more… intimate. It says, “And the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21). Garments of ski...
Doors that can swing wide open into the most incredible stories. Take Enoch, for example. (Genesis 5:22) tells us, "Enoch pleased God after he begat Methuselah, two hundred years.”...
The Midrash of Philo turns to What Perished in the Flood and What Survived. That’s the question the Midrash of Philo, a fascinating and often overlooked source, tackles head-on. Th...
The Midrash of Philo turns to Did God Regret the Flood and Promise Never Again. That's precisely the question that bubbles up when we read (Genesis 8:21). "And the Lord God said, r...
(Genesis 9:21). It's a head-scratcher. What are we supposed to make of that? The question itself isn't new. Generations of interpreters have wrestled with this verse. And one fasci...
He’s just received the earth-shattering news that he, in his old age, is going to have a son with Sarah. A son who will carry on the covenant with God. It's huge! But then comes th...
Philosophers have scratched their heads, trying to undo the mystery of slumber. But you know, sometimes the answers are closer than we think. Our own tradition, through the wisdom ...
The Midrash of Philo turns to Philo's Hidden Meaning in Adam's Garments of Skin. A reader can dismiss this detail. So, God makes clothes. Big deal. But, as Philo of Alexandria, a J...
One fascinating perspective comes to us from a text known as The Midrash of Philo. Now, when we say "midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)," Philo, a Jewish philosopher living...
God, knowing humanity’s propensity for wickedness from the start, initially intended to destroy the world with a flood. Yet, afterward, God promises not to destroy all flesh again,...
