The Art of Contextualizing Philo of Alexandria

is the Max Cooper Professor of Jewish Thought at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

• Roman Contexts: Philosophy and HistoryLudovica De Luca: Philo, Cicero and Vitruvius: God as Architect in Rome - Sergio Marín: A Conscience on Trial. Reading Ios. 47-48 against a Roman Background - Rebecca Langlands: Philo's Barbarian Virtue and Roman Exemplary Ethics - Maren R. Niehoff : "God is my Ruler, but no Mortal". Philo's Paradox of Freedom in first century Rome amidst Demetrius, Seneca and Epictetus - Gretchen Reydams-Schils: Philo and Musonius Rufus - Gregory E. Sterling: Platonism between Alexandria and Rome: Philo and Seneca - Mischa Meier: Nero's Persecution of the Christians, the Jews and a Possible 'Philonic' ConnectionNew Testament ContextsLoveday Alexander: Sailing to Caesar: Philo's Embassy and Luke's Paul in Rome - Matthias Becker: Philo's Lives and Luke's Gospel. Features of Hagiographical Discourse in Early Imperial-Era Biography - Joan R. Taylor: Another Look at Logos Theology in Philo and John - Philip Alexander: Philo of Alexandria and Hebrews in the Context of the Roman Empire. Revisiting the Question of their RelationshipGreek Literature and Philosophy as ContextJason König: Human and Environment in Philo's Life of Moses and Flaccus - Volker Drecoll: Philo and Severus on the Unity of the SoulThe present collection of articles revisits the question of Philo's contexts in the wake of Maren Niehoff's Philo of Alexandria. An Intellectual Biography (New Haven, 2018/translation Tübingen 2019), which argues for the first time that Philo's diplomatic activities in 38 CE had a significant impact on his career and transformed him from a Bible exegete addressing Alexandrian audiences to a Roman philosopher.