Take the flood narrative in Genesis, for example. We read that "the fountains of the deep were broken open and the floodgates of the sky were opened" (Genesis 7:11). Straightforward enough, right? It's a description of a massive, world-altering event. But what else could it mean?
Philo, a Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria around the time of Jesus, delved deep into this very question. He wasn’t content with just the literal reading. Philo, often called "The Midrash of Philo," sought the inner meaning, the deeper symbolic truth. And what he found is pretty fascinating.
He starts by acknowledging the obvious: The verse describes heaven and earth converging in destructive force. Waters from above met waters from below, an overwhelming deluge unleashed upon a sinful world. But then he pivots, suggesting that this isn't just about water.
Philo proposes a compelling allegory. He equates "heaven" with the human intellect, the seat of reason and thought. And "earth," he says, represents the senses and the body. So, what happens when these two realms clash or become corrupted? According to Philo, that's when the real trouble begins.
He paints a picture of inner turmoil. Imagine an intellect that, instead of seeking wisdom and righteousness, is twisted by cunning and wickedness. This, he says, often happens when the desires of the body are suppressed – the intellect, in its frustration, turns to bitterness. On the other hand, what happens when the body runs rampant? When lusts are given free rein, fueled by luxury and excess?
Philo argues that the "gate" to these lusts is the outward senses combined with the body. When the intellect ignores the external world and focuses inward, the senses can lie dormant. But when intellect and body unite in corruption, watch out! We are exposed to a deluge.
And this, my friends, is a great deluge. Philo says this is when the "streams of the intellect are opened by iniquity, and folly, and greedy desire, and injustice, and arrogance, and impiety." And at the same time, "the fountains of the body are opened by lust, and desire, and intemperance, and obscenity, and gluttony, and lasciviousness...and all irremediable diseases.”
He’s not just talking about physical floods anymore, is he? This is a flood of moral decay, a torrent of vice that washes away all that is good and decent within us. It’s a powerful image, one that resonates even today.
So, next time you read the story of Noah's Ark, remember Philo's interpretation. Think about the "fountains of the deep" and the "floodgates of the sky" not just as sources of water, but as metaphors for the forces within us. What are the “fountains” and “floodgates” in your own life? And how can you ensure they don’t unleash a deluge of destruction?