Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish philosopher and biblical commentator who lived from about 20 BCE to 50 CE. He was part of a wealthy and politically connected family in Alexandria, Egypt, the major center of Greek culture at the time. Philo was deeply educated in Greek philosophy, especially the works of Plato and the Stoics, while remaining devoted to his Jewish faith and scriptures.
His life is best documented by his participation in a political embassy to Rome in 39–40 CE. He led a delegation to the emperor Caligula to protest the persecution of Jews in Alexandria and to argue against the emperor’s order to place a statue of himself in the Jerusalem Temple.
Philo wrote over 40 surviving treatises, nearly all preserved by later Christian scribes. His works are primarily extensive commentaries on the first five books of the Bible (the Torah). They are often grouped into three categories: the Allegorical Commentary, which interprets Genesis through philosophical symbolism; the Exposition of the Law, a more systematic presentation of biblical narratives and laws; and historical or philosophical works, including his first-hand account of the embassy to Caligula.
Philo’s historical importance stems from his ambitious synthesis of Greek philosophy and Jewish thought. According to modern scholars, he used allegorical interpretation to show that the teachings of Moses contained the same truths found in Greek philosophy. His development of the concept of the Logos (the "Word" or divine reason) as an intermediary between God and the world was particularly influential. While his work had little direct impact on Rabbinic Judaism, it became a foundational resource for early Christian theologians, shaping the development of Christian philosophy and biblical interpretation for centuries.
Available Works
Κατὰ Φλάκκου
Against Flaccus
152 passages
Πρεσβεία πρὸς Γάϊον
Embassy to Gaius
295 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα Ἀδήλου Ἔργου
Fragments of Uncertain Work
5 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα περὶ Κολακείας καὶ Ἀρετῆς
Fragments on Flattery and Virtue
15 passages
Ὑποθετικά ἢ Ἀπολογία ὑπὲρ Ἰουδαίων
Hypothetica or Apology for the Jews
10 passages
Περὶ γεωργίας
On Agriculture
141 passages
Περὶ Μέθης Β'
On Drunkenness II
10 passages
Περὶ ἀριθμῶν Ἀριθμητικά
On Numbers or Arithmetic
239 passages
Περὶ Προνοίας
On Providence
67 passages
Περὶ Μισθῶν καὶ Ποινῶν καὶ Καταρωμένων
On Rewards and Punishments and-Curses
137 passages
Περὶ τῶν Εἰδικῶν Νόμων
On Special Laws
837 passages
Περὶ Μεταβολῆς Ὀνομάτων
On the Change of Names
252 passages
Περὶ τῆς δημιουργίας τοῦ κόσμου
On the Creation of the World
144 passages
Περὶ τοῦ Δεκαλόγου
On the Decalogue
146 passages
Περὶ τοῦ Βίου Μωυσέως
On the Life of Moses, Books I-II
507 passages
Περὶ τῆς μεταναστεύσεως τοῦ Ἀβραάμ
On the Migration of Abraham
204 passages
Ζητήματα ἐν Ἐξόδῳ Ἀποσπάσματα
Questions-Exodus Fragments
72 passages
Ζητήματα ἐν Γενέσει Ἀποσπάσματα
Questions-Genesis Fragments
187 passages
Ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἄτρεπτος ἐστίν
That God is Immutable
153 passages
Περὶ τοῦ Θεωρητικοῦ Βίου
The Surviving Works of Philo of Alexandria
78 passages
Περὶ Ἀβραάμ
The Surviving Works of Philo of Alexandria
231 passages
Περὶ Ἀϊδιότητος Κόσμου
The Surviving Works of Philo of Alexandria
127 passages
Τὰ σωζόμενα Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
The Surviving Works of Philo of Alexandria
437 passages
Τὰ σωζόμενα Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
The Surviving Works of Philo of Alexandria
130 passages
Τὰ Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
The Works of Philo of Alexandria
99 passages
Τὰ Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
The Works of Philo of Alexandria
201 passages
Τὰ Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
The Works of Philo of Alexandria
178 passages
Τὰ Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
The Works of Philo of Alexandria
60 passages
Τὰ Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
The Works of Philo of Alexandria
159 passages
Τὰ Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
The Works of Philo of Alexandria
178 passages
Τὰ Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
The Works of Philo of Alexandria
56 passages
Τὰ Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
The Works of Philo of Alexandria
169 passages
Τὰ Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
The Works of Philo of Alexandria
165 passages
Τίς ἐστιν ὁ κληρονόμος τῶν θείων
Who is the Heir of Divine Things
279 passages
Τὰ σωζόμενα Φίλωνος Ἀλεξανδρέως
Works of Philo of Alexandria That Survive
155 passages
Ὅτι Πᾶς Ἀγαθὸς Ἐλεύθερος
Works of Philo of Alexandria That Survive
128 passages