"Philo's Portrayal of Moses in the Context of Ancient Judaism
"presents the most comprehensive study of Philo's "De Vita Mosis"
that exists in any language. Feldman, well known for his work on
Josephus and ancient Judaism, here paves new ground using rabbinic
material with philological precision to illuminate important
parallels and differences between Philo's writing on Moses and
rabbinic literature.One way in which Hellenistic culture
marginalized Judaism was by exposing the apparent defects in Moses'
life and character. Philo's "De vita Mosis" is a counterattack to
these charges and is a vital piece of his attempt to reconcile
Judaism and Hellenism. Feldman rigorously examines the text and
shows how Philo presents an aretalogy similar to that of a mythical
divine and heroic figure, by glorifying the birth, education, and
virtues of Moses. Feldman demonstrates that Philo is careful to
explain in a scientific way those portions of the Bible,
particularly miracles, that appear incredible to his skeptical
Hellenistic readers. Through Feldman's careful analysis, Moses
emerges as unique among ancient lawgivers. "Philo's Portrayal of
Moses in the Context of Ancient Judaism "mirrors the organization
of Philo's biography of Moses, which is in two books, the first, in
the style of Plutarch, proceeding chronologically, and the second,
in the style of Suetonius, arranged topically. Feldman's book
discusses the life of Moses chronologically and in the third
chapter examines his virtues topically. Feldman compares the
particular features of Philo's portrait of Moses with the way in
which Moses is viewed both by Jewish sources in antiquity
(including Pseudo-Philo; Josephus; Graeco-Jewish historians, poets,
and philosophers; and in the Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, Samaritan
tradition, Dead Sea Scrolls, and rabbinic tradition) and by
non-Jewish sources, notably the Greek and Roman writers who mention
him. "This book is a gold mine of information. In two sections that
follow the arrangement of Philo's two treatises on the life of
Moses, Feldman expertly sets forth an impressive array of material
from Philo, other Jewish sources, and non-Jewish sources. Each
section on the life of Moses and on his virtues is clearly and
helpfully organized into many subsections, and Feldman discusses
each topic with characteristic erudition. This is the first
book-length study to focus on these Philonic and other traditions
about Moses, and readers from a variety of disciplines will find
much here to appreciate." --Ellen Birnbaum, author of" The Place of
Judaism in Philo's Thought: Israel, Jews, and Proselytes" "Feldman
provides a characteristically thorough, even exhaustive, discussion
of Philo's Life of Moses, informed by his unsurpassed knowledge of
both Jewish and classical literature. This is a very substantial
and welcome contribution to the detailed analysis of the major
Jewish philosopher of antiquity." --John J. Collins, Yale Divinity
School "This book represents the first full-length treatment of
Philo's portrait of Moses in the De vita Moysis. The work is
erudite and careful. As is characteristic of Professor Feldman's
work as a whole, the strongest quality of this book is it
comprehensive nature and encyclopedic learning. It will appeal to a
significant number of scholars and students from a wide range of
disciplines, including Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, New
Testament, and the Early Church." --Gregory E. Sterling, associate
professor of theology, University of Notre Dame
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