A human sui generis
Philo's Life of Moses
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4008099 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Gregory E Sterling (0000-0002-5357-3297, Yale University, New Haven, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 73 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 225-250 |
| Publication date | 2022-10-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Jewish Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-2097 • E-ISSN: 2056-6689 |
| Publisher | Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.18647/3540/jjs-2022 |
| OpenAlex | W4298111301 |
| Language | EN |
Philo focused on human characters in his writings as a means of illustrating the cultivation of virtue. The greatest figure for Philo was Moses. In his De vita Moysis , he signalled the structure with prefaces, summaries and transitional statements to highlight the unique character of Moses. A careful reading of these statements suggests that there was a gap of time between the composition of Mos. 1 and 2. Philo appears to have changed his plan as he neared the completion of book 1 and eventually decided to present Moses under multiple titles, a plan that he did not work out until he began book 2. His final decision to present him as a king, legislator, high priest and prophet is unparalleled in Jewish sources and makes Moses a human sui generis
Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Classical Philosophy and Thought · Philosophy · Theology and Philosophy of Evil
| Highly cited | No |
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