Philo of Alexandria

Jewish Philosopher and Interpreter of Scripture

c. 20 BC–c. AD 50
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish philosopher, biblical interpreter, and community leader who sought to explain the Hebrew Scriptures within the intellectual world of Greek philosophy. Living in Alexandria, Egypt, during the late Second Temple period, Philo became one of the most important representatives of Hellenistic Judaism. His writings provide valuable insight into Jewish thought near the time of Jesus and the apostles.

Philo was born into a wealthy and influential Jewish family in Alexandria, probably between 20 and 10 BC. Alexandria was one of the great cultural centers of the ancient Mediterranean world. It contained a large Jewish population and was famous for its libraries, schools, commerce, and philosophical traditions. Greek was Philo’s primary literary language, and he appears to have received an extensive education in rhetoric, philosophy, and the classical writings of Greece.

Although deeply shaped by Greek thought, Philo remained committed to the God of Israel and to the authority of the Torah. He regarded Moses as the greatest of lawgivers, prophets, and philosophers. Philo believed that the truths sought by Greek philosophy had already been revealed more fully in the writings of Moses. His project was therefore not to replace Scripture with philosophy, but to demonstrate that the biblical revelation contained the highest wisdom.

Philo is especially known for his allegorical interpretation of Scripture. He accepted the historical and literal sense of the biblical text, but he also believed that many passages contained deeper spiritual and philosophical meanings. Biblical characters, places, and events could symbolize the soul, virtues, passions, or the human journey toward God. For example, the exodus from Egypt could be interpreted not only as an event in Israel’s history but also as the soul’s liberation from slavery to sinful desire.

This method allowed Philo to connect biblical teaching with Platonic and Stoic philosophy. He emphasized the transcendence and holiness of God, describing God as beyond complete human comprehension. At the same time, he wrote about the divine Logos, or Word, as the means through which God created, ordered, and governed the world. Philo used several images for the Logos, including God’s instrument, image, firstborn, and mediator. His thought does not simply equal the New Testament teaching about Jesus Christ, but his language helps illuminate the intellectual and religious environment in which early Christian writers spoke of Christ as the Word.

Philo also wrote about creation, divine providence, virtue, prayer, the moral law, and the contemplative life. His surviving works include extensive commentaries on Genesis and Exodus, biographies of biblical figures, philosophical treatises, and historical writings. In On the Embassy to Gaius, he described a Jewish delegation to the Roman emperor Caligula after severe conflict and persecution in Alexandria. Philo appears to have participated personally in that embassy, demonstrating his role as a leader within the Alexandrian Jewish community.

Philo had little direct influence on later rabbinic Judaism, and his writings were preserved mainly by Christians. Early Christian theologians found his allegorical method and his language about the Logos especially useful. His work influenced interpreters such as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and later patristic theologians.

As a conversation partner, Philo helps modern readers understand the diversity of Judaism in the first century. He shows that Jewish interpreters could affirm Scripture while engaging seriously with Greek philosophy and culture. At the same time, his highly allegorical approach requires caution. Spiritual interpretation must not obscure the historical meaning, literary context, or covenantal message of the biblical text.

Philo remains valuable because he stands at the meeting point of Jerusalem and Athens, Scripture and philosophy, Jewish faith and the Greco-Roman world.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
—Proverbs 9:10