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Philo of Alexandria, an Exegete for His Time by Peder Borgen

Review by: A. C. GeljonVigiliae Christianae, Vol. 55, No. 4 (2001), pp. 447-449Published by: BRILL

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REVIEWS

Peder Borgen, PhiloofAlexandria,n Exegeteor His Tune Supplements o

Novum TestamentumLXXXVI). Leiden-New York-Koln:Brill 1997, x +

332 pp., ISBN 90-04-10388-0, DFL 180/US 106 (clothboundwith bookjacket).

There are several ways in which one can approach the figure of Philo

of Alexandria and his writings. Some scholars interpret him as a Greek

mysticwearingJewishrobes;othersplace him withinthe contextof Gnosticism

or Middle Platonism. In the second half of the last century the under-

standing has emerged that Philo is first and foremost an exegete. Peder

Borgen is an important representativeof

this view,which

appearsfrom

the title of his monograph on Philo: Philoof Alexandria. n Exegeteor His

Time.In the preface to this study he writes that he has gained the insightthat there is a relationship between exegesis, exegetical traditions, con-

temporaryideas, and historicalcontext. The present monograph is based

on this insight.In accordance with his view Borgen begins this study by dealing with

the historical context in which Philo lived. He also compares Philo with

otherJewishwriters.One of his conclusionsis that Philo is not an isolated

figure outside the broad stream of Jewish convictions and attitudes that

were present in the Jewish community in Alexandria.In the Jewish com-

munity the Septuagint played a central role and most of Philo's writingsconsistin exegesisof and expositionson the Laws of Moses. Borgendivides

them into two main groups:A) Rewritingof the Pentateuch,consistingof

the Exposition of the Laws of Moses, OntheLifeof Moses,and Hypothetica;

B) Exegetical commentaries, to which the Allegorical Commentary on

Genesis,and the

QuestionsndAnswersn GenesisndExodus

elong. FollowingP.S. Alexander,Borgen arguesthat Philo's expositionof the Laws of Moses

belongs to the genre of the 'rewritten Bible'. According to Alexander

'Rewritten Bible texts are narratives,which follow a sequential, chrono-

logical order. Their framework s an account of events, and so they may

describedbroadly as histories'(p. 56). Philo's rewrittenBible is compara-

ble to, for instance,Josephus'JewishAntiquities.Much attention is paid to the structureof the Philonic treatises.Borgen

arguesthat the

exegeticalform of

questionand answer is central,because

it occurs in the QuestionsndAnswersn GenesisndExodus,n the Exposition,in the Lifeof Moses,and in the Allegorical Commentary.The same form

is also found in rabbinic exegesis. In a separate chapter Borgen offers a

detailed examinationof OntheGiants nd OntheUnchangeablenessf God.He

C Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2001

447

VtgiliaeChristianae5, 447-449







REVIEWS

shows that the form of question and answer is very prominent, but Philo

also uses other expositoryforms, like e.g. a direct paraphrasingexegesis.

Havinganalysedthe formalstructureof Philo'sexegeticalwritings,Borgenlooks for a directive hermeneuticalprinciple in Philo's exegetical labours.

According to Philo the translationof Moses' Laws has as goal that these

Laws should be accepted by the whole world. Philo's exposition of the

Laws continues the presentationof these Laws to the Greek-speakingworld.

It is a proclamatioraeca.The Jewish exegete can interpreta biblical text on

two or three levels: 1) the level of the concrete and specific events; 2) the

level of the cosmic and general principles; 3) the level of God's realm

above the created world.Borgenillustrates he firstlevel, which concernsthe practiceof the Laws,

on the basis of the treatises On theEmbassyo Gaiusand AgainstFlaccus.Theyare generally characterised as historicalwritings, but Borgen argues that

they have to be understood within the context of the practice of the Law.

They show how the Laws of Moses are at work in theJewish communityand can cause troubleand conflicts. n these worksPhiloappliesPentateuchal

principles to historical events and persons, and Borgen shows that Philo

does the same in his exegetical writings.There were not only violent relations between the Jewish community

and its environment-as one can see in On theEmbassyo Gaiusand AgainstFlacus-, but there was also a more positive form of interaction. At var-

ious places in his writings Philo focuses on persons who become Jewish.Abraham, the founder of the Jewish nation was a proselyte and a model

for other proselytes.The coming in of proselytesand movements of reach-

ing out to non-Jews indicate the universal role that the Laws of Moses

have to play. The Laws are universal because they are a manifestation ofthe cosmic principles. Philo combines universalismwith a particularistic

understandingof Moses' Laws, because he considers those who keep theLaws of Moses as the true human beings.

In this monograph Borgen discussesmany interesting aspects of Philo's

thoughtand his writings.ConsideringPhilo firstand foremostas an exegete,he offersa sound and valuable approachto Philo. His observationson theformal structureof Philo's writings-especially his detailed examination of

some treatises-are very helpful for obtaining insight in the structure ofthe commentaries,which seems at first glance to be rather chaotic. I do,

however, have my doubts about the qualificationof the Expositionof theLaw as rewrittenBible. The Expositionis more than only the rewritingofthe Bible: it also contains Philo's own allegoricalinterpretationand exe-

448







REVIEWS 449

gesis. In DeAbrahamo,or instance,Philo alternatesthe literal narrativewith

an allegoricalexegesis. He also changes the biblical order of the events in

Abraham's life. Therefore, I think that the definition of rewritten Bibledoes not adequately cover the method that Philo uses in the Exposition.

Despite this remarkI can recommend this monograph to everyonewho is

interestedin Philo's exegesis, which, as we all know, had a strong impacton the theologiansof the early Church. With this monographBorgen has

again shown that he belongs to the most prominent Philonic scholars of

our time.

NL-4206 VD Gorinchem,Jsbaan 175 A.C. GELJON





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