Joseph and Aseneth

The last issue of Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha contains an article on Joseph and Aseneth that is also relevant to Philonic studies:

Andrea Lieber,
'I Set a Table before You: The Jewish Eschatological Character of Aseneth’s Conversion Meal,'
Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha Vol. 14 No. 1 (September 2004):63-77. Abstract: Food is a powerful symbol in Joseph and Aseneth in that it sharply defines the social boundaries that are so important to the text as a whole. Jews and Gentiles portrayed in the novella differ primarily with respect to their theological beliefs, and this difference is both reflected and incorporated through acts of eating. Employing classical anthropological and sociological approaches to the relationship between sacrificial meals and kinship, this essay explores the symbolic and literary function of the conversion meal in Joseph and Aseneth. Viewed as a symbolic expression of mediation between humanity and the divine, Aseneth’s meal is compared with similar passages from Philo and Rabbinic literature that depict mystical or eschatological meal scenes.

More on Philo's Therapeutae

Studies on Philo's Therapeutae seem to be popular these days; here is another new article, published in Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha (again thanks to Jim Davila's PaleoJudaica blog for the info):
Mary Ann Beavis, 'Philo’s Therapeutai: Philosopher’s Dream or Utopian Construction?' Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha Vol. 14 No. 1 (September 2004):30-42. Abstract: This article takes issue, on rhetorical and geographical grounds, with Engberg-Pedersen’s (1999) argument that Philo’s De Vita Contemplativa is a ‘philosopher’s dream’. Further, it is argued that while Philo’s description of the Therapeutai/Therapeutrides is shaped by Hellenistic utopian conventions, particularly Iambulus’ account of the Islands of the Sun (Diodorus Siculus 2.55-60), Philo’s account is sober and realistic enough to suggest that he was describing a real community of Jewish contemplatives of which he had direct knowledge.The main article that she takes issue with is this one by the Danish scholar Troels Engberg-Pedersen, 'Philo's De vita contemplativa as a philosophers dream.' Journal for the Study of Judaism 30 (1999): 40-64.

A New View on the Origin of the New Testament

This note may seem somewhat remote from philonic studies, but it may impact our way of viewing the way the New testament came into being.
Sheffield Phoenix Press announces a new book out on the origin of the New TestamentThomas L. Brodie, The Birthing of the New Testament. The Intertextual Development of the New Testament Writings .565 pp.£32.50 / $47.50 / €47.50 Scholar's Price £65 / $115 / €97 List Price Hardback Publication date: November 2004.

Abstract: Many are saying that the prevailing paradigm of NT origins is going nowhere. In its place, Brodie's stunning book invites us to suspend all 'knowledge' we already have about the history of the NT's development, and to be willing to entertain the following thesis.
Everything hinges on Proto-Luke, a history of Jesus using the Elijah–Elisha narrative as its model, which survives in 10 chapters of Luke and 15 of Acts. Mark then uses Proto-Luke, transposing its Acts material back into the life of Jesus. Matthew deuteronomizes Mark, John improves on the discourses of Matthew. Luke-Acts spells out the story at length. Add the Pauline corpus, the descendant of Deuteronomy via the Matthean logia, and the NT is virtually complete.
This is a totalizing theory, an explanation of everything, and its critics will be numerous. But even they will be hugely intrigued, and have to admit that Brodie's myriads of challenging observations about literary affinities demand an answer. The title reminds me of C.F.D. Moule's The Birth of the New Testament, but its hypotheses seem to be very different. This is indeed a totalizing theory, and my immediate impression is that this is also the weakness of the book. Time will tell if it will survive in the upcoming discussions.

Clement and Philo

I seem to be a little behind in several ways these days, but due to a note on Jim Davila's blog I became aware of a new article by David T. Runia. A new issue of Vigiliae Christianae is out, and it contains the following piece, written by David: Clement of Alexandria and the Philonic Doctrine of the Divine Power(s), Vigiliae Christianae 58.3 (2004): 256-276.
Abstract: The present paper offers a comprehensive examination of how Clement appropriates the Philonic doctrine of the divine powers. It first examines the biblical basis of the doctrine, in which Pauline influence is superimposed on Genesis. It then successively treats the subject in the areas of theology, cosmology and the doctrine of creation, including the creation of humanity. For Clement experience of the divine power (usually in the singular) leads to knowledge of God (to the extent possible) and intimacy with him through the Son. Clement's Philonic heritage has enabled him to develop a positive and above all a dynamic theology.

Abraham und die Erzväter bei Philo

In the volume on Philo and the New Testament, mentioned in a recent posting below, Dr. Martina Böhm has an interesting and stimulating article, introducing some main aspects from here most recent book, soon to be published in Germany. I shall present some of her viewpoints here; a link to her latest book will be provided at the end of this posting.

Martina Böhm's article and book deal with Philo's presentation of the ancient Jewish patriarchs, focusing on the hermeneutical aspects of Philo's exposition. In doing so, she has also interesting comments on the use of Philo's works in New Testament studies to offer.

Böhm not only considers the various groups of philonic writings (the Allegory, the Exposition, the Questions) to have different audiences or intended readers, but also that they were written over an extended period of time. In addition to these aspects, it is important to differentiate between the "konkret-historisch angelegte Literalsinnebene neben der allegorischen, universal-allgemeingultige Interpretationsebene"(p.390). She differentiates here more clearly between various groups of intended readers than many other scholars; another scholar who use a similar differentiation is e.g., Ellen Birnbaum in her The Place of Judaism in Philo's Thought. The present author has, so far, favored the view that the Expositio was written primarily for the Jews, but that Philo also took account of the possibility that his works could be used in a presentation of Judaism to interested Gentiles.
Her studies of the exposition of the ancient fathers in the works of Philo, make her posit the following suggestions concerning the use of these expositions in New Testament studies: Nicht Philos Abrahamreception an sich kann das Verständnis neutestamentlicher Texte erleichtern, sondern der Vergleich seiner konkreten Voraussetzungen, Methoden und Ziele bei der Schriftrezeption mit den konkreten Voraussetzungen, Methoden und Zielen, die sich beim paulinischen Schriftgebrauch zumindest ansatzweise rekonstruieren lassen. Ich würde inzwischen sogar soweit gehen zu sagen: Ein isolierter und pur als Quellenauszug präsentierter philonischer Abrabam ist aus sich allein heraus eigentlich kaum zu erklären, und er kann den paulinischen Abraham per se auch nicht besser verstehen helfen - auch nicht den Abraham bei Jakobus oder den Abrabam beim Verfasser des Hebräerbriefes. Erst, wenn deutlich ist, auf Grund welchen Schriftverständnisses und soziokulturellen Hintergrundes und mit welchen Intentionen Abrahams Gestalt und Leben von einem Verfasser interpretiert werden, entscheidet sich, was Philos Abrabam für das bessere Verständnis eines seiner neutestamentlichen Namensvettern beitragen kann (p. 378).

On the one hand, these are well known points of view, on the other hand the question might be posed; is Böhm taking them to an un-necessary extreme? The viewpoints offered in her article, makes her book - soon to be published- a volume I would be very interesting in being able to dig more deeply into. Here is a link to the forthcoming book: Martina Böhm, Rezeption und Funktion der Vätererzählungen bei Philo von Alexandria. Zum Zusammenhang von Kontext, Hermeneutik und Exegese im frühen Judentum
(Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche 128) Walter de Gruyter Verlag, 2004.

Impressed...

I just payed another visit to Philip A. Harland's website on Associations, Synagogues and Congregations, and it is getting better and better. I am especially impressed by his interactive pages on the Associations. Have a look! This seems to become a model site focusing on a specific topic of the ancient world.

Reconceptualising Conversion

Fall is time for publishing new books, and there seem to be no end to all book writing (Eccl. 12:12); but here is one I would like to have a closer look at:

Crook, Zeba A., Reconceptualising Conversion. Patronage, Loyalty, and Conversion in the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean. 2004. 23 x 15.5 cm. XV, 310 pages. Cloth. Euro [D] 88,- / sFr 141,- / für USA, Canada, Mexico US$ 98,-. ISBN 3-11-018265-3.
The Publisher presents the book thus: Combining classical, epigraphical, and biblical sources with social-scientific methodology, this monograph questions the way in which modern scholarship has tended to discuss ancient conversion. The author challenges long-held assumptions of psychological continuity between ancient and modern people, and offers in place of these assumptions a model founded on the categories the ancients used themselves. Graeco-Roman and Mediterranean religions and philosophies, including Hellenistic Judaism and Christianity, framed their religion in the language of patronage / benefaction and loyalty, and thus an understanding of ancient conversion must start there. I would like to see what role the works of Philo might play here, but also how the author would 'recenceptualize' conversion in relation to a New Testament authoer as Paul.

Philo und das Neue Testament

Yesterday I received the volume I announced in earlier posting were about to be published Philo und das Neue Testament
Wechselseitige Wahrnehmungen 1. Internationales Symposium zum Corpus Judaeo-Hellenisticum Novi Testamenti (Eisenach/Jena, Mai 2003)Herausgegeben von Roland Deines und Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr.2004. 420 pages (est.). (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 172).ISBN 3-16-148396-0 cloth.In addition to the papers read at the conference, it also contains some additional articles. I am looking forward to refresh my memory of the conference, and reading the articles added. I also hope to be able to get back with commetns on some of the articles.
The volume contains the following essays: Vorwort (Roland Deines, Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr),
Jürgen van Oorschot: Grußwort des Dekans der Theologischen Fakultät -
Christoph Kähler: Grußwort des Landesbischofs der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche in Thüringen
Einleitung
Roland Deines/Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr: Philo und das Neue Testament - Das Neue Testament und Philo. Wechselseitige Wahrnehmungen, pp. 3-18
I Standortbestimmungen
Gregory E. Sterling: The place of Philo of Alexandria in the study of christian origins, pp. 21-52.
George W. E. Nickelsburg: Philo among Greeks, Jews and Christians, pp. 53-72.
Larry W. Hurtado: Does Philo Help Explain Christianity? p. 73-92.
II Exegetische Studien
Paarvorträge
Pieter W. van der Horst: Philo's In Flaccum and the Book of Acts. p.95-105
Friedrich Avemarie: Juden vor den Richterstühlen Roms. In Flaccum und die Apostelgeschichte im Vergleich. pp. 107-126.
David M. Hay: Philo's Anthropology, the Spiritual Regimen of the Therapeutae, and a possible Connection with Corinth. pp. 127-142.
Berndt Schaller: Adam und Christus bei Paulus. Oder: Über Brauch und Fehlbrauch von Philo in der neutestamentlichen Forschung. pp. 143-153.
Dieter Zeller: Philonische Logos-Theologie im Hintergrund des Konflikts von 1Kor 1-4? pp. 155-164.
Gerhard Sellin: Einflüsse philonischer Logos-Theologie in Korinth: Weisheit und Apostelparteien (1Kor 1-4). pp.165-172.
Naomi G. Cohen: The Mystery-Terminology in Philo. pp. 173-187.
Bernhard Heininger: Paulus und Philo als Mystiker? Himmelsreisen im Vergleich (2Kor 12,2-4; SpecLeg 3,1-6). pp. 189-204.
Folker Siegert: Die Inspiration der Heiligen Schriften: Ein philonisches Votum zu 2Tim 3,16. pp. 205-222.
Jens Herzer: Die Inspiration der Schrift nach 2Tim 3,16 und bei Philo von Alexandrien. pp. 223-240.
Torrey Seland: The Moderate life of the Christian pa/roikoi: A Philonic reading of 1 Pet 2:11. pp. 241-264.
Karl-Heinrich Ostmeyer: Das Verständnis des Leidens bei Philo und im ersten Petrusbrief. pp. 265-281.
Einzelbeiträge
Christian Noack: Haben oder Empfangen: Antithetische Charakterisierungen von Torheit und Weisheit bei Philo und Paulus. pp. 283-307.
Cana Werman: God's House: Temple and Universe. pp. 309-320.
III Philo-Lektüren
Jutta Leonhardt-Balzer: Creation, the Logos and the foundation of a city: a few comments on Opif. 15-25. pp. 323-344.
Rosa Maria Piccione: De Vita Mosis I 60-62: Philon und die griechische paideia. pp. 345-357.
Jürgen Hammerstaedt: Textkritische und exegetische Anmerkungen zu Philo, De Specialibus Legibus II 39-70. pp. 359-373.
Anhang
Martina Böhm: Abraham und die Erzväter bei Philo: Hermeneutische Überlegungen zur Konzeption der Arbeit am CJHNT. pp. 377-395.

Philo's Exposition of the Law and Social History

Some time back I scanned an interesting article by Adele Reinhartz, and asked for her permission to republish it on my website.
The article deals with important aspects to take into consideration when using the works of Philo as sources for issues of his time and social world. The article focuses primarily on Philo as a source for a study of the Jewish family in Alexandria, but it has also a more general interest:Adele Reinhartz, Philo's Exposition of the Law and Social History: Some Methodological Considerations. First printed in Eugene H. Lowering (ed.), SBL Annual Meeting 1993 Seminar Papers (Scholars Press, Atlanta, Georgia, 1993), pp.6-21. The file is acceccible on my Philo page as a .pdf file. Page numbering referring to the original version are inserted, making it possible to refer to the original version. Reference to the original version is recommended.

The author introduces the focus of the article thus: This paper is a preliminary attempt to address the question of whether it may be possible to draw social-historical data from Philo’s exegetical discussions in the Exposition. We will consider, first, the rather formidable methodological obstacles which block the way to such an approach and, second, the differing assumptions that would either prevent or facilitate this enterprise. Finally, we will look at some examples of scriptural exposition related to family issues. These will be drawn from Special Laws (Spec.), with occasional forays into On The Decalogue (Dec.) and On the Virtues (Virt.). You can access the article here: Philo's Exposition of the Law and Social History

Review of Leonhardt, 'Jewish Worship'

The most recent issue of Journal for Theological Studies has a review of
Jutta Leonhardt, Jewish Worship in Philo of Alexandria, Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism 84 (Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen, 2001). See Journal for Theological Studies 55.2 (2004):690-693. The review is by David T. Runia.