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Philo of Alexandria: Every Good Man is Free
Introduction, Translation, and Commentary
Series: - Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series, Volume: 9
Author:
Philoâs treatise on freedom is the first extant exposition of the topic, which became neuralgic in the first century CE. Philosophical, historical, literary and exegetical aspects are explored. The Essenes are presented as an exemplary group of free individuals, who reject slavery and study Torah on the Sabbath. In this first commentary on the treatise, Philoâs thought is explained in the context of the circumstances in which it was written, namely in the aftermath of the Alexandrian pogrom in 38 CE, when he served as the head of the Jewish embassy in Rome. The main contemporary figures are introduced and Philoâs role in the debates of first century Rome is highlighted. Special attention is paid to Cynic philosophy, which prized individual freedom and saw a revival in Rome that is otherwise attested only fragmentarily. Philoâs treatise emerges as a precious source, which illuminates subsequent advocates of freedom, such as Paul and Epictetus.
Maren R. Niehoff is Max Cooper Chair of Jewish Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She published widely on Hellenistic and rabbinic Judaism, Greco-Roman culture and early Christianity. Her recent monograph Philo of Alexandria. An Intellectual Biography (Yale University Press, 2018) has been translated into five languages.
This volume will be of interest to BA and advanced students as well as scholars in the fields of Jewish Studies, ancient philosophy, New Testament and early Christianity, Roman philosophy, culture and history and Greek culture in the Roman empire.