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Uploaded: 09 Oct 2013 (13 years ago) · Shared: 01 Aug 2017
Duration: 51:55
Uploaded: 09 Oct 2013 (13 years ago) · Shared: 01 Aug 2017
Duration: 51:55
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Virtually ignored by Jewish philosophers, Philo of Alexandria represented the high point of synthesis between Greek and Jewish thought in the ancientworld, and had a huge influence on early Christian thinkers. A prominent representative of the Egyptian Jewish community to the Roman Emperor, and well-respected in his day by his coreligionists, he nevertheless had little impact on the development of Jewish thought. Why was Philo removed from the currents of the Jewish intellectual tradition, yet so well-regarded in other faiths? This lecture was delivered on Wednesday, October 9 at 8:30 pm at the Young Israel of Bal Harbour.
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Who is Henry Abramson?Henry Abramson (born 1963) was the former Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Services at Touro College's Miami branch. He is currently the Dean of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences in Flatbush, New York. He is notable for his teachings on Jewish history and Judaism as a religion. Abramson is largely known for his scholarship in Ukrainian Jewish history and antisemitic iconography, but his interests also include the history of Orthodox Judaism, the Talmud and the Haskalah. Abramson has also been a popularizer of Jewish thought, publishing a primer of Talmud and other works on the Jewish intellectual tradition. He is known for his research on the development of five major narratives for Jewish national identity.
Who was Philo?Philo of Alexandria (20 BC-50 AD) was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria, in the Roman province of Egypt. Philo used philosophical allegory to harmonize Jewish scripture, mainly the Torah, with Greek philosophy. His method followed the practices of both Jewish exegesis and Stoic philosophy. His allegorical exegesis was important for some Christian Church Fathers, but he had very little reception history within the Rabbinic Judaism. He adopted allegorical instead of literal interpretations of the Hebrew Bible. Some scholars hold that his concept of the Logos as God's creative principle influenced early Christology.
