The Cambridge Companion to Philo

Description

The works of Philo of Alexandria, a slightly older contemporary of Jesus and Paul, constitute an essential source for the study of Judaism and the rise of Christianity. They are also of extreme importance for understanding the Greek philosophy of the time and help to explain the onset of new forms of spirituality that would dominate the following centuries. This handbook presents an account of Philo's achievements. It contains a profile of his life and times, a systematic overview of his many writings, and survey chapters of the key features of his thought, as seen from the perspectives of Judaism and Greek philosophy. The volume concludes with a section devoted to Philo's influence and significance. Composed by an international team of experts, The Cambridge Companion to Philo gives readers a sense of the state of scholarship and provides depth of vision in key areas of Philonic studies.

~ For book cover/jacket: Adam Kamesar is Professor of Judeo-Hellenistic Literature at Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati. ~ For other publicity not on the book: Adam Kamesar is Professor of Judeo-Hellenistic Literature at Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, where he also served as Director of the School of Graduate Studies for ten years. Professor Kamesar writes in the areas of Jewish and Christian literature in Greek and Latin from 300 BC through AD 500 and is the author of Jerome, Greek Scholarship and the Hebrew Bible. His essays have appeared in multiple journals, including The Journal of Theological Studies, The Studia Philonica Annual, and Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies. He has also published translations of texts from Latin, Hebrew, Greek, and Italian.

'Kamesar comments on what hasbeen termed Philo's 'Aaronide Pentaleuchalism', and Siegert seeks to deomonstrate that of all the non-Christian authors of the first century, Philo is the most important one for the historian of emerging Christianity.' International Review of Biblical Studies