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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Birnbaum, Ellen. | Dillon, John M. | Philo, of Alexandria. DeAbrahamo. English
Title: Philo of Alexandria, On the life of Abraham : introduction,translation, and commentary / by Ellen Birnbaum, John Dillon.
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2021. | Series: Philo of Alexandriacommentary series, 1570-095X ; volume 6 | Includes bibliographicalreferences and index. | Summary: “On the Life of Abraham displaysPhilo’s philosophical, exegetical, and literary genius at its best.Philo begins by introducing the biblical figures Enos, Enoch, Noah,Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as unwritten laws. Then, interweaving literal,ethical, and allegorical interpretations, Philo presents the life andachievements of Abraham, founder of the Jewish nation, in the form of aGreco-Roman bios, or biography. Ellen Birnbaum and John Dillon explainwhy and how this work is important within the context of Philo’s ownoeuvre, early Jewish and Christian exegesis, and ancient philosophy.They also offer a new English translation and detailed analyses, inwhich they elucidate the meaning of Philo’s thought, including hisperplexing notion that Israel’s ancestors were laws in themselves”–Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020005056 (print) | LCCN 2020005057 (ebook) | ISBN 9789004423633 (hardback) | ISBN 9789004423640 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Philo, of Alexandria. | Philo, of Alexandria. De Abrahamo.| Abraham (Biblical patriarch) | Bible. Genesis–Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Classification: LCC B689.Z7 P463 2021 (print) | LCC B689.Z7 (ebook) | DDC 222/1106–dc23
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LC ebook record available at
Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download:
ISSN 1570-095X
ISBN 978-90-04-42363-3 (hardback)
ISBN 978-90-04-42364-0 (e-book)
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