The Historical Part of the Pentateuch According to Philo of Alexandria: Biography, Genealogy, and the Philosophical Meaning of the Patriarchal Lives

Abstract

In the group of treatises commonly called Exposition of the Law1, Philo of Alexandria presents the contents of the Pentateuch, combining a narrative retelling with allegorical comments. The author has chosen to focus on facts and persons, and he has sometimes modified the order and the plan, aiming to reveal the philosophical and religious tenor of the Mosaic text2. The work is an impressive attempt to explain the first five books of