Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish philosopher who lived in Roman-ruled Egypt. When the Jews of Alexandria were ordered to defy their beliefs and worship Gaius Julius Caesar, also known as Caligula, they sent Philo to plead their case to the emperor. Philo’s writings provide an account of the atrocities the Jews faced for their refusal to glorify a man as a god. They were dragged to death, burned alive with their families, slaughtered in their homes, and even crucified. Well versed in Greek and Jewish learning, Philo integrated biblical teachings with Greek philosophy, giving rise to an influential approach to Scripture. The ideas that emerged impacted both Christian and Jewish religious thought.
In Philo and Holy Scripture, nineteenth-century scholar Herbert Edward Ryle collects, arranges, and orders all quotations from the books of the Old Testament found in Philo’s writings. These quotations give modern readers large fragments of the Greek Bible used by the most eminent Alexandrian Jew of that century. This collection also contains a lengthy introduction which explores Philo’s treatment of Scripture and notes on Philo’s writings.
