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The Works of Philo Judaeus, Vol. 2

Philo of Alexandria · translated by C. D. Yonge · 1st century; translation 1854–1855

The Jewish philosopher of Alexandria, contemporary of the apostles, reading the Law of Moses allegorically; his Logos and method shaped Clement, Origen and Ambrose.

Edition: Internet Archive · archive.org

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From the opening: Book II

On the Life of the "Wise Man made perfect by Instruction; or, on the Unwritten Law, that is to Say, on

Abraham

On the Life of a Man occupied with Affairs of State; or, on Joseph

A Teeatise

I. As to the preceding topics, what has been already said will be sufficient. We must next proceed to consider, and that in no slight or cursory manner, the philosophical account which Moses gives us of the confusion of languages; for he speaks in the following manner: " And all the earth had one pronunciation, and there was one language among all men. And it came to pass, as they were moving from the east, that they found a pkin in the land of Shinar, and dwelt there. And one man said to his neighbour, Come, let us make bricks, and let us burr them with fire; and they had bricks for stone, and asphalt for mortar. And they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose head shall reach to heaven; and let us make for ourselves a name, before we are scattered over the face of all the earth. And the Lord came down to see the city, and the tower, which the sons of men had builded. And the Lord said, Behold, all mankind is one race, and there is but one language among them all; and they have begun to do this thing, and now there will not fail unto them anything of all the things which they desire to do. Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that each may not understand the voice jf his neighbour. And the Lord scattered them from thence over the face of all the earth, and they desisted from building the city, and the tower. On this account, the name of it was called Confusion, because there the Lord confused the languages of all the earth, and from thence the Lord scattered them over the face of all the earth."*

II. Those who are discontented at the constitution under which their fathers have lived, being always eager to blame and to accuse the laws, being impious men, use these and similar instances as foundations for their impiety, saying, "Are ye even.

Vol. II. B

now speaking boastfully concerning your precepts, as if they contained the rules of truth itself? For, behold, the books which you call the sacred scriptures do also contain fables, at which you are accustomed to laugh, when you hear others relating them." And what is the use of devoting our leisure to collecting the fables interspersed in so many places throughout the history of the giving of the law. as if…

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Contents (57 sections)

  1. Opening
  2. Publisher's catalogue
  3. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  4. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  5. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  6. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  7. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  8. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  9. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  10. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  11. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  12. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  13. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  14. Book II
  15. Book II (continued)
  16. Book II (continued)
  17. Book II (continued)
  18. Book II (continued)
  19. Book II (continued)
  20. Who the Heir of Divine Things
  21. On Who the Heir of Divine Things
  22. On Who the Heir of Divine Things (continued)
  23. On Who the Heir of Divine Things (continued)
  24. The first beginning is quite half the whole (continued)
  25. The first beginning is quite half the whole (continued)
  26. On Seeking Instruction
  27. Meeting for the Sake of Seeking Instruction
  28. Meeting for the Sake of Seeking Instruction (continued)
  29. Meeting for the Sake of Seeking Instruction (continued)
  30. A Treatise on Fugitives
  31. A Treatise on Fugitives (continued)
  32. A Treatise on Fugitives (continued)
  33. Why Certain Names in the Holy Scriptures Are Changed
  34. On the Change of Scripture Names
  35. On the Change of Scripture Names (continued)
  36. On the Change of Scripture Names (continued)
  37. On the Change of Scripture Names (continued)
  38. Book I
  39. On Dreams Being Sent from
  40. On Dreams Being Sent from (continued)
  41. On Dreams Being Sent from (continued)
  42. On Dreams Being Sent from (continued)
  43. Book II
  44. Book II (continued)
  45. Book II (continued)
  46. Book II (continued)
  47. The Unwritten Law, That Is to Say, on Abraham
  48. The Unwritten Law, That Is to Say, on Abraham (continued)
  49. The Unwritten Law, That Is to Say, on Abraham (continued)
  50. The Unwritten Law, That Is to Say, on Abraham (continued)
  51. The Unwritten Law, That Is to Say, on Abraham (continued)
  52. The Unwritten Law, That Is to Say, on Abraham (continued)
  53. The Unwritten Law, That Is to Say, on Abraham (continued)
  54. Publisher's catalogue
  55. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  56. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  57. Publisher's catalogue (continued)

How to cite it

Chicago
Philo of Alexandria. The Works of Philo Judaeus, Vol. 2. Translated by C. D. Yonge. Internet Archive, 1st century; translation 1854–1855. https://archive.org/details/worksphilojudaeu02philuoft
MLA
Philo of Alexandria. The Works of Philo Judaeus, Vol. 2. Translated by C. D. Yonge, Internet Archive, 1st century; translation 1854–1855. https://archive.org/details/worksphilojudaeu02philuoft
APA
Philo of Alexandria (1st century; translation 1854–1855). The Works of Philo Judaeus, Vol. 2 (C. D. Yonge, Trans.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/worksphilojudaeu02philuoft

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