EE _ © PHILOSOPHIA ANCILLA THEOLOGIAE ALLEGORY AND ASCENSION IN PHILO’S ON MATING WITH THE PRELIMINARY STUDIES (DE CONGRESSU QUAERENDAE ERUDITIONIS GRATIA) Hent de Vries, Jol: Translated by Jack Ben-Levi niversity Baltimore This essay takes Philo of Alexandria's allegorical reading in ‘De congressu quaerendae erucitionis gratia’ of Genesis 18: 1-8, which recounts Abraham's temporary relationship with Hagar, as anticipation of the philosophia anillathaologiae motif that has informed much of Western Christian and philosophical thought. In so doing, it explores the ways in which Prila's view in ‘On Mating with the Preliminary Studies’ gives new meaning to the ancient Greek curriculum of the enkykios paideia that would remain dacisive for the idea ofthe artes literales and the humaniora, from early modernity up until Gadamer’s philosophical her- meneutics. INTRODUCTION Sunce ats b phe knowledge A ‘THEBIBLE NO CRITICAL THEORY, VOLUMES, NUMBER, 009 MENASHUNIVERSITY EPRESS aneeded if s human being is to acquire vitue, philosophical vistue, ox Wisdom. By sui of wisdom alone does knowledge of divine things become possible [79] Fusthermoze, the term a virtue ‘preliminazy studies’ (propatdewmata [9, 24, 35, 152, 180]) makes one think of a topos already en before the Hellenistic age Pi propaideia, Republic, VIL th quitecommon 10, too, had spok a “preparatory educatio: that ight to precede the fulhiledged study of dialectic ? In Hellenistic world as well there wa ¢ of the a great deal of discussion about the imp: struction (enkyklios paideia) éor pb sious schools and, ¢ all emph the Skeptic be useless During the Hellenistic age the general tendency was to value education to sue ropaedeutic course of 8 ce Chevsippus, the Sto! sized the propaedes nificance of such instruction, while the Cynic: and—up to a certain point ~ the Epicureans each considered it to ban extent that one even can say that culture itself became an ides], wherein the unfolding of human were Varro and Cicero to sender the teem being tradition of so potential took ac paws the inception, which Philo p atzal place. Not without $01 Irivated) § And we have seen a (education) into Latin with ‘humanutas’ (culture, exercises iculation, and continuation of th led spirit fo modern times, the ¢: role” Later on, and edace a far usse of pre paratory instruction survived under a new guise in what were called the artes liberal: “cally, Before discussing Philo’s tzeatise with the beginning of ceflection upon the alture, knowledge, and philosoph 1 attempt to determine the proper zelationship between fuith and ceason, a number of matters have to be cleared up, What kind of insight, co begin with, did Philo thin And what significance did What difference is there, if any, berween view to deciding whether it represents, hist ion of theology vs. seculaz or mdeed constitutes 3 fi could be attained by means of the ‘prelimmacy studies’ (see Section IIL, below atteibute to these studies, in view of the goal of acquiring Wisdom? it be considered co Wisdom and philosophy? be akind of knowledge of God with s specificity of its own (see Section IV]? Tn posing questions like these, two concems have to be kept in mind Firstly, al hilo’ works owe their preservation and transmission to the Christian apologists, who found in h doctrine of the Logos and in the allegozical method an interpretative framework able to support the claim to truth of Christian faith, Philo is not a Chri fora pasadigm for theology — one that Christianity would later pur to u not thet I theme of ‘philosophis ancilla theolog: condly, we that the question of the zelationship between the emkyklios pardeia and philosophia, on the one nd, and sophia, on the othes is a properly philosophical one. Then it be whether Philo’s thinking about and exposition of the opi asa philosophically sigorous position in its own right. In the ‘Philo-Fossclaung’, for instance, one stian author Accordingly, only the search can concern us bi e uselé eto remember dition es us to consider ad really can be characterized meets with criticisms of the tendency to consider Philo to have been a systematic thinker and co approach his treatises as philosophical o: theological in nature, rather than as being sumply ex- em a guiding principle, of a certain unity of thought, ctivity? Is his treatise mezely a loose composite of unr. ure, in Philo’s ted teaditions of to decide m advance. But if one intends to underst, sgesis?!° Ir isn’t possibli one has to begin by assuming thet a wnité de propos will indeed become manifest Before we tum co the anual s 1 of the treatise, it may be helpful to deri on Philo ond half of the 19th cenrucy that scholars began subject from a aumber of influential scholasly wo iad De congress quacrendae eruditionis gratia. It was only stasting in the se a2 PHILOSOPAIA ANCILLA THEDLOGIAE ARTICLESfo study Philo inthe ight of his ewa intellectual sou ple of such an app! tie, mythi ses Among t ch, aiming to understand Philo in terms of his Egyptian- first published in 1908 Bréhier ne works of Philo-Fosschung relig ratext, is Emile Bréhies's bool s zselates the allegorical method to the Orphic mysteries and to the mystical theories of the Neo- getical procedu and from rabbin Pythagorean. Philo ses would then stand quite apast from the sest of J 1 wi egesis. For Philo, figuees from the Bible dof ai I to his test, such as those of the Log: from a spicitualiz cosresponding Egyptian deitie Philo’s work manifests the fluence of nearly all the main Greek schools of philosophy during the Hellenistic age, vet, according to Bréhiex one ought to secognize that a thorough transform- of those philosophies takes place along d iy, Philo’s originality would consist in his having seinterpreted Greek cosmology, metaghysics, and psychology in eligious- ion of th mosalterms Here ewo developments aze of central umpostance fistly, [une] conception nouvelle et teanscendanr’ ['[3] endent God’ ] that is. dans l'histoire des idées d'un Diew absol Cory ception new in the God which no positive definition befits, and secondly, a steong sense of the nullity of human faculties !? Philo, all bis id not keep himeeli from doubring whether of Philo’s eeeatise, this means in Beéhies's view withstanding, co! all worthwhile: ‘Il renco: With regard co the sul displays of Hell tion Ww ustic erudition se dans le encycliques et méme dans la philosophie une espéce de résistance 3 I'idéal mystique de la connaissance de Dieu’ [‘He encountered in prep ad even in philosophy itself a sost of resistance to the mystical ideal of awareness of God’ ] Hellenistic paideia he would have taken to be mo! Land, semasks Bréhien Philo “ree SP knowledged that the slightest mozal effort had moze worth than any knowledge’ ] Considered her paradoxical that Philo shi ratory education lly aeut conasit que le moindze effort mozal vaut micux que toutes les sciences ld have dedicated such an extensive treatise to the proper zol: dein Bréhier’s work has been quite influential in the subsequent ‘Philo-Forschung’ !* In a certain sense, Hazy Wolison's long monograph ca und traditionsgeschichtliche’ orientati ights of Greek pl isto say, a weak thin in be seen asa response to his predecessor's ‘religions H thae Philo fully appreciated the 0- view of Philo as an eclectic, that a the contsary according to Wolison, in Philo one finds a quite a suggest thoi es the gener al conscious working-out of the problems caised by Greek philosophy To be suse, Ph: his philosophical insights in 4 fragmentary form, but this 4 function of the literary, homiletic natuze of his work: lo does present od which, in tum, anchors him squarely in astic should be underst the Jewish tradition !* Itus philosopher in the preacher that interests Wolfson Although Philo does intezps: the Bible in the terms of Greek philosophy, he is mainly concemed with the ¢ different philosophical of Bl Wolfson, Philo is the father of the notion of ‘philosoghia ancilla theologiae’, he helped found a religious-theological teadition that, © that a ‘peeamble of faith had to precede alll ph eptions of the nism’ *° For Philo is ‘a critic of Stoicism and a cevis 152 of then ophical in: Was To insist words, Philo not PHILOSOPHIA ANCILLA THEOLOGIAE ARTICLES a3only ant peets Scripture in light of Greek philosophy, h discovered there as criteria in his attempt to come to so utilises some of the premises of ps with the philosophical tzaditio ce with what is conceived by him to be the uni ast be set aright in the light of the latter’ “? Accord- fauh, [Whenever philosophy is found to be at var cexpretable position of Scripruse, the former mu ing to Wolfson, in Philo’s view there is a far-reaching set of cozrespondences berween philosop! ad the insights deposited in the Bible, though he does consider Divine sevelatio: ofa high With respect to the ma that Wolfson, cemazka bly enough, ¢ simply as a pasadigm for the relationship between philosophy and theology That the and philosophy might be t consider A discussion of pa er certainty A quaeremdae eeuditioms gratia, this means ats the ky kl ionship between ia and philosophy sky kl necessazy step on the theological ladder to Wisdom, Wolfson does IL THE PATH TO VIRTUE Philo’s teeatise begins with a citati 1, bearing Abraham no children, appealed to him to go to her Egyptis co obtain childzen rom hes [1] ** The historical figure Sarai is interpzeted by Philo in an allegor irom the Septuagint (Genesis 16 1 ical manner, her name is taken as indicative of the individual soul (and more soper relation to oneself), and asa symbol of virtue (arché mou ), delibes ation (s6phrosyné), and righteousness (dikaiosy né) — indeed, every viseue that can be formed in being [2] °5 Although courage (amdr teaditional list of the cazdinal virtues that one already meets in Plato, and then fin L & de hypo- is) because it concemns the whole course of life [11] Thhis is the reason why his treatise stasts with an inspiring preface (pros virtue must be considered to be prelimmnazy 72t@ (6)), The particular vitues that. as said to cepre: vidual t mentioned, what is at issue sina 26 Philo calls vistue the most important subject (i t fom), and, moee impoztantly, why in his view insteuction in fectiliry That Moses by tums depicts Sar allIseael both seems highly pasadowical (paradox dertake aderstood as bodily, rathex, they are well- ends t ‘om [3]) and suggests how import. legorical interpretation Philo 27 What is moze, vistue’s fruits, Sarai, are not be formed thoughts, blameless decisions, praisewosthy actions [4], and, Philo adds, the attitude of in [6]), Philo’s intezpzetation is twofold In the first place, he says that virtue is 2 plaula panta (3])s sh to be roo young to share in her life [5], for in youth, all too often one is still pe lacks moral worth, infectile only with segaed to whate dges some cupied with empty opinions [6] The Biblical rest, Philo remasks, speaks of Sarai being infertile only in her thar is to say, with Abraham, and, we are invited to ¢ selation to a specific person (auto (9 clude, with young Philo himself [6]. Vire of our owa incapacity That the text does not say th: intertiliry we shall have to consider to be an index in so many words is indicative, according 2]) Yer pausing [4] she bea first iruits of the blessings He has bestowed upon, to Philo, of infestile with in gratirade she tend roo, the menorah, tumed rowards God, casts its beams u spwards to ‘the Existent a4 PHILOSOPAIA ANCILLA THEDLOGIAE ARTICLESThose who have not vet set out on the way to being virtuous, those who now age not umme- 1])abler childeen, will first (er Sand 14] inthe lattes graph, Philo even insects the word into the quotation from the Bible!) need to be peeps dia pa. eve viet of th become frutful. Th fa. Only then (authis [14]) is it possible that one’s celation to virtue will propaedeutic and remp. with Hagas which Philo will specity later on, is thus alzeady announced here [11-24] (See Section IIL, below ry character of one’s cour: That in introducing the enkyklios paideta Philo suddenly switches terms and begins to talk at the handmaid of Vierue (sophia [S]), suggests that he does not adhere all that st of the difference between Sasaiand Sarah. According to his te ), prudence (phrondsis), and wisdom (sophia), while it is only the latter who personifies philosophy (philosopiria) and formal knowledge (epistéé). We shall need co abi his own interpretatioz ly to use, both symbolize virtue (aret a the one hand, the extent to which we have to acknowledge that the: mune oncepts aze jgths to which Philo being that of 3 all encompassed in a cestain hierarchy, as well as, on the other hand, the le goes in order to set sophia apazt from the othe: ablish its pla otherworldly Wisdom tion IV, below | and to ¢ ea subject of the treatise has been introduced in this way, there follow: ex concubines of the various patriazchs, in which a them- be discemed only with ditt ginning with Jacob and ending with his antipode sus can perhaps be sead as a sketch of a number of pasallels between Biblical figuces and the various lnuman vistues and faculties [ci 63], for which the motto ‘the less good key? mber of hie being discussed here, of which those b-Isaac are for our pusposes the most impostant For whomever has to acquise the vietue Philo names first, prudence (phronés with Hag of preliminary studies, is indicated [24] Abraham is postrayed by Philo as a per cursus [24-62] concerning the wives a atic unity ¢ may serve as t it be- ation for the better’ [3 semplified is [2]). for himself 1 is, the completion ofthe course tion (di ia), intescour: who str for contemplation of speculation (tie6ria) and formal knowledge (epist@ié) [23], he dedicates vietue that one can leaza (hé didaktiké areté) [35] When Philo, following this es to his argument and offers And Abram ed to the voice of Sasa’ (Genesis 16.2 igh heze, it should be said (see note 22), he area, thus depasting irom the Biblical te fom manthanonta) will have to obey viseue’s precepts [63] Only they can obey, howeves whom a vledge inspires. fox says Philo, alzeady philosophers ace beginning to hold daily disputes with one another about vistue [64], heedless that most of theis listeners proceedings [6. how to protit from what they have h himself to th cursus, comes b: ke writes interpretation of the sentence, hea thov Which reads Sar jarks that the amet love (erds) of formal Je of the remainder, some do not know are ceasing to pay attention to 1d [66] and others show themselves to be sophists whose words are not in accord with the conduct of their lives [67] °° An attentive person who recalls what hehas heard and who considers actions more important than mere words, is rare Absaham, 9)), the exemplazy student of vistue or Wisdom, PHILOSOPHIA ANCILLA THEOLOGIAE ARTICLES assimply by his natuze [ ze also discussed. Are we obliged from this to conclude that instruction in the preliminary studies is not necessary in order to acquire vistue? As is wellknown, the distinction between three different modes of acquiring oz possessing some aptitude, namely, job omac an . by exercise in practice, or from natuze, stems from Aristotle's ti te the ou # Tn Philo, such a tripartite distinction could well delin: ive stages of the soul's increas: iz against the fact that the mental propaedeutic ofthe emky ation * The differences among these three modes then represent no argument mething every beginner lios paideta i will have need of for the disciplining of the body as for the tsaining of the ed with the twofold nature of the 5 ché) as having both an irrational (alogom: and a rational past (Jogikom) [26]. Taking account of the senses and the passions (pathé), the former somt of education aims to make seli-mastezy (emkrateia) possible, whereas the latter cul tivares the mozal pesfection of the soul (ka 1 etioet to b 1a) [31] ture, does not have to make a 193 the type of the perfect wise man, a supe: ay great alled upon in the Bible to change od (hé eupathein aristé chara me virtuou: Abraham and Jacob, no name *3 He is in the best of conditions, hi: ilo understands to be a gift of ‘Well-being a5 conceived of by the Stoics God Atthe mome n God lets the g he heavens upon Isa it no longer is possible that Isaac could still g use of the subsidiaey asts (fechnal henceforth he is a person who has formed and educated himseli (antomathes, autodidaktos [36] man whom vistue (now called Rebecca d Wisdom, all exertion and practice supestluous [37] Is asummate mules, the soul thar has foun sa posses Ill. THE STATUS OF THE ENKUYKLIOS PAIDEIA Hogar is the symbol (symbolom[11]) for the entizery of the disciplines encompassed by the term of edu 1s paideia * In other of his writings, Philo poses the question of the importance! s,asI suggested, a common topic during the Hellenistic age, to which, howev enky cation ¥ This 1 dise ry to consider Philo gives a very distinctive tum. Before this matter it is neces moze closely the word course or cycle, round) in the phrase emky kind of education and knowledge did Philo have in view? thought that the expze: of something ‘encyclopedic’, for that is a modemn notion which first appears in the 16th centucy Marzo 1on enkykltos patdeia should not be understood in th and which fails to cover the range of meaning of the ancient idea *6 The 16th century conception of human Je) suggestive of the full extent was based upoa an etymology ( formal knowledg d the inconsistent termin e5 1 imagery 3 hilo’s ditferent alle; ed from the exegeres, logy, one can nonetheless discern 4 cles knowledge of Plato ories. Philo, whose 's works probably deriv 76 partakes of a middle-Platonic tradition when he teaches thar the soul has to tsanscend the reality perceptible by the senses in ats entizety Yet Philo does not speak of the mind’s gradual intellectual progress, as did the Greek philosophy of antiquiry, but ra roots of his position probably have to be sou of the mystical: 1on of the soul.” The spiritual gious eleva ight in Eastem oz Egyptian influences oz those 0 the mystery seligions, of which the Hellenistic age w. liche Fosschung’ b giv, the cosmic dualism undeniably present in Philo so replete and to which the “sel: “ + directed our attention Accord thot za consequence igious lie as he de eibes it appears to rest upon a p. suman being has to have gutived at an awareness of his own nullity in order to be open to divine sublimiry® Cultivation PHILOSOPHIA ANCILLA THEOLOGIAE ARTICLES ausage”? Though klios paide! sense that the and education can fe’, a transitions ts of the ev I ia former would be defined as morally ndiffecent (as Beéhuer claims is the case| oz that philosophy’s as Wo Philo certainly does not hold that the relationshup between the sul and, as it were, theology could be established once and £ ilar place would be decided a does), at us true nonetheless tha ever much he advocated admaiden (philosophia idea that there is an antit Philo explicitly makes use of the alleg Besis, Bur have its claims been entirely invalidated? Thar every religious utterance has a symbolic of al method [cf 4, 12, 43, 44, legitimacy of this method has rightly b the cise of historical-critical metaphoric aspect is not likely to be denied But might not this also apply to allegozy#* Aiter all, as Hans-Georg Gadamer remazks, symbol and allegory do have something in common ‘In s be seiner Erscheinungshaftigkeit, Anblick baw semem Woztlsut, bestelt, sondern in emer Bedeutung, die uber es beiden Wozten ust «1 net, di ist’ [Both words refer to something whose mea wning does not consist in its externa theologic. with the svi of sound but in significance that lies beyond it’ }*? Allegory arises from th concen behind whatever may seem offensive 3 bol, alle :meani raisom d'tre consists in the fact that it is not possible “das Gottliche anders als vom Sinnlichen gus zu ekennen’ [it is not possible to know the divine in no other way than by starting from th alto the extent that it explicitly emphasizes the link the world of the sens d of exegesis but a "J Drovided one understands it to be not a2 hermen be reuth between every celigious idea and human language and seality Allegory enlazges, photographically under which every celigio tical figuse, allegory a5 it were, the conditio: s philosophy has to operate: the necessity, namely, of saying something about that which lies beyond the created world by the mi lable in this ch limitation and the ins philosophy does not ofst dispose over the means to express the essential. these at least Philo’s treatise does nage to convey ENDNOTES Os the notion of sophia, see Hadot (1995): 38 ff, Hador (2 GE Fannenberg (1977). 14 several other figu of the themes of Philo’s treatise by Origen, the Cappadocians, John Damascene, Ambrose, Jerome, ji7 sin the early his ry of the church could well be instanced here. For the development and Augustine, see the discussion in Monique Alexandre’s conamentary in her edition of Philo’: ueatise (1867) 13-87, 26-87 See also Chadwick (1966) 296-307, Runa (1383), and Rua (2009 210. of the ancilla theologiae, see also Hadot (1985) 32 and Hadot (2002) 30, On the mot ‘ Philo (1932 synodos does not only signify ‘di ir alzo eynenymous with syrousia, which 3 dell-Scor Lexicon, The conception of an eventual synousia with Wisdom, de ene’ proper spouse, clearly suggests this equivalence. See Mack (1973) 1 F Blate (1994): 215 ‘ See Marrow (1902), 217-26 See also Jaeger (1969) aus PHILOSOPAIA ANCILLA THEDLOGIAE ARTICLESal ily complete See Hadot (1995), £412, exercises, They do not completely ove: panorama of Stoic-Platonic inspired phil Who is the Heir of Divine Tings, 253, HaV] enumerates the following elements: research (zete’ thoroughinv s|slistening tention (prosoche|, mastery (enkrateds|, and indifference to indifferent things. The other [the reference is to Allegorical Interpretations, 3, 18, HAV] 1 ince of good things, self-mastery (enk Ulmer (1979): 156-71 6 Thanks to Bhile of Alexandsia ... we do possess two lists of ep . bur they do have the merit of giving sophical therapeutics, One of these lists [Hadot refers to mes successively reading, med: fa), and the cons (mieletai), therapies of the pat complishment of du Alexandre (1967) Erebus Erebus Erebus Erebus CE Windisch | d Mack (1973): 108 éf Wolfson (1982 In the ‘Philo-Forscluung’ there is often reference to the ‘Zwang des Testes’, Cf. Thyen (1955 Wolfson (1982, vol. 1) Wolfson (1982; vol. I) Wolfson (1982; vol. I) Wolfson (1982; vol. I) On account of his thesis that Philo tent, coherent, (Wolfson, way Philo’: up a system of philosophy which is con: and free from contradictions, all of it being based upon certain fundamental principles 1992, vol. 1: 114-15), Wolfson has been charged with, discrepancies, CE Volker (1950) tain tendency to harmonis ‘The currently establi s paragraphs 1 through 1 .p. 233 On this point the text di sched Greek text of Ehilo’s create se (Wendland) spells Abraham's wife’: name a: 2, Saal, everywhere else CE 2 sara, Sal lexandre, De Congress agint, where, in accord with the Hebrew, the change of nam firet found in Genesis 17, Iehas been # procedure in order to make a distinction between the pa for which 5. by Sa by Sarab,]is never barren, she is at this stage in the story Sarai [... that is wisdom in the individu who is as vet incapable of begetting by her’. Cf. also Mack (1973-75): 30, 31,221, and Alexandre (1967): 234 ff According to the lattes, Philo is here translating Jewish-Hellenis stent Wisdom into the terms of a Platonizing philosophy, gerted thot Ehile unlize: the distinction between S. acula i stands as the symbol, and overarching heavenly virtue, which is typified, in contrast, at ‘while Visewe or Wisdom,] which are represented a in bis allegorical specific, worldly and buman vireus ah, Colson (Ehilo, 1932: 452) remarks t speculation about a pres For Hlato, see The Republic, IV, 4276 CE Alexandre’s remark (1967: 17): ‘Cette donne: chronelogique, est pai those who read Holy S: ceive fe pour qui lit le texte sacré en une pet adoxe pour qui le lit d'une lecture intemporelle” ["This circumstance, clear to rare with a view to its chronological unfolding paradoxical to those who read it in a synchronic fashion’ ] PHILOSOPHIA ANCILLA THEOLOGIAE ARTICLES aus4 Fa 36 ae Tn some manu: ¢2, Colson and Whitaker note, Neoplaton ne reads instead to hen, ‘the One’, an expression which is, of course, moi Alexandre (1967): 18, See Winter (1997/2002), 72-75 See Aristotle's, Nicomackean Ethics, 1 , 1099b15-16, Il, 1, 1103a14-19, and X, 9, 117962) methods’, all Alexandre (1967): 494, Wolfson (1982, vol. I 197} speaks in this connection of ‘th of which have to be s in the end, as gifts of God Mack (1973): 157,n 14, for the figure of Is is described as a truly wise man [132] There are a number of expressions indicating the preliminary studies in the treatise: he enkyklios paideia [72, 73, 121, 154], be dia ton propaideumaton enkyklios ra [23, 79, 156], ta enkyklis [10, 19, 73, ienkyklion episteraon mese paideia [14], haenkykliaitheop iai(20], and hai kata ta enkyklia propaidewmata [35] Philo also speaks, moreover, of a nominos paideia (28 -cord with the Law. Each of these expr all of the various preparatory disciplines, (The word mousike designates a specific discipline or study.) CE, Alexandre (1967) 27, 28,15 Land 2, and De Rijk (1965): 74-77 See also Mendelsohn (1982: also pp. 162-65. In Philo’: treatise, Mo: isthe [9], he enkyklios mousike |. re tox naesont ompasiet Marrow (1950/1982): 176 Ef and 406-07,n52 a ation from the Grande 5 in De Rijk (1965): 24 [Ce que les Anciens appelaient encyclopedic (enkyklios paid des connaissances générales que tout horame instruit devait posséder 3 ou de se consacrer & une étude spéciale [... ['[W]hat the Ancients aide a) was the sum of common knowledge that every educated man ought to hs setting out into p ular discipline [...J'] limer (1979): 157, De Rijk (1965): 24 ad 3 Ci the qu ylopedie ensemble ant d’aborder la vie pratign led ‘encyclopedia’ (enkyklios 2 acquired before tical ie or dedicating bimseli to a alson, 1), 360. 1 De Rijk (1965): 30, cf 40 De Rijk (1965): 92 De Rijk (1965): 41. Here De Rik also remarks that chorus’, ie keeping tune, rhythm (‘not maki al’ = being well-educated [...], So enkyklios paidets B.C, therefore, enkyklios was equivalent to choretos or chorikos. De Rijk (1965): 85 ind De Rijk (1965) 77-79. In Pbilo’s ts os chovets [51] ‘keeping within the ind metre, in short, enkyklios: ‘being shoric education’, In the fifth centu tise we read ton enchorewonta GE Alesandse (1967) 32 # tais enkyklio‘s theopias [20] and Fe pammo: De Rijk (1965): 79 Ci Dmer (1979) De Rijk (1965): 22 CE, the table in Alexandre (1967), 34-35, Arithmetic is conspicuously absent from Philo’s teat is mentioned in other of his works, Itis possible that he considered it to be included in the study of geometry (ibid., p. 32) CE, the sketch in Alexandre (1967) 41-47 be This is Alexandre’s claim (1967): 57. 47-0, cf De Rijk (1965) 44, 49 Hf a, and to The Laws, VL, 7566 [perhaps 75767] Alexandre (1967: 50 #f ) refers to the Touae: Alexandre (1967 60) sefers to the Gorgias, 5 PHILOSOPAIA ANCILLA THEDLOGIAE ARTICLESa 6 6 ° ° 7 slates theoris with a's ‘the obser Alexandre (1967, $0, 117) tra it sulation’ and ‘contemplation’, Less ac: ty’ [L7] and He: ‘curate, ems to me, are Col: jenaann’s (1938 senschaftliche Erkeantais Alexandre (1967) 116, Bree the human claim to knowledge 1280. 1963) 102 ff 07 éf.,290) shows that Philo made use of skeptical arguments in order to puncture GE Alewandse’s remark (1967: 123-24, 4) [Ul agit d'un passage par temps lutte purificatrice’ (‘What is broached here is atthe tame time, a pusiiving struggle ] ja sensation quiectenméme ascent by means of the senses, one which is, ance of Philo’? criti Concerning the signifi sm of ‘the Chaldees’, cf Mack (1973 139 For instance, mese paideia [12, 14, [140, 142, 143] Alexandre (1967) 47) maker this point 45], mesai ep itemai[14, 127, 128], and mesaitechnai See Colson’s remark in the first volume of the Loeb edition (1971 75 tf xvii, note a; and De Rijk (196. Irhas been disputed whether in fact hilo is here inv 1992; 81), And itis true that his trea of his knowledge of the matter position in society, either that he was educated by Greek tuto associated with the synagogue (cf Wolfson, 1992; 70-81), Yet according to Alexandre (1967.47), there is documentary evidence to suggest that around 308 C. Jews had no trouble gaining admittance jum, from which they were excluded only in A.D. 42. So it is pertinent to ask: “Philon fat-il,en des temps plus libéraus pour la communauté juive, un des anciens du gvmaase?” [Was Phil of greatest freedom for the Jewish community, one of the gymnasium’ first teachers?"] g his own personal experie (cf Wolf snot give any more specific information as to the source se do .d. Thus it masy be tempting to assume, on the basis of Philo’s or that he was formed in a school to the gymna in those ve. Perhaps Philo thought thar the study of grammar could acl the comprebension of the va te the interpretation of the Bentateuch, nd that astronomy might lead to the rec ous etymologies, ete.; 3 of the existence of the Creator, and so on. Concerning the conceptual progression from Elato’s Lysis (2124) a Phaedrus (279), cf, De Rijk (19 and see 1 Ma 4 Symposia (2034) to the )) 45-47. Only in the later text does Elato reserve wisdom for God CE De Vogel (1963) beer 4 LE-L7 However, earlier in the treatise the Latter term had already been used to designate the intermediate subjects [14, 129] Alexandre (1967) 203.0. 4 Probably, because outos ti 1967: 206 and 250 ff) sine tis tecknon episteme is an emendation of Wendland’s (cf, Alexandre, ‘This CE the Phaedrus, Alexandre’s summary (1967 206, 2) 247% Concerning the third level of knowledge, cf Alexandre (1967: 72 who compare: Philo’: position with Spine Wolfson (1982, vol. I) 101-26, ef. Windisch (1909): 3 According to Mack (1973; 110), Philo is a theologian of wisdom Mack attempts to bridge the divide in the ‘Philo-Forschung’ which consist: in hilo Windisch, Thyen all do), or in terms of Greek-philosophical and Jewish s does), Mack, though he questions the idea of ‘Mytho-logie als “Vergeistigung’ vom Mythischen’ [wonders whether mytholo gy in fact represents a ‘spiritu. k, 1978 well as Bréhier (1950 314), 7-38, 43, 44, 46,48 g weudied either in maythic-zeligious terms (a2 urces (at Wolfson tion’ of the mavebic] (Ma PHILOSOPHIA ANCILLA THEOLOGIAE ARTICLES aunarch initiated by Bréhuer to the extent that he takes the Jewish g of Egyptian cultic lly the Ta foes pursue the line of tradition of wisdom to be a Hellenistic zewor nm Philo was aiming at ‘eine Korrek (‘a modification of the pantheism of the Stoics by means of the theo (Mack, 1973: 114, cf. 113, 197) Mack (1973): 116,esp.n. 37 Mack (1973): 121, of. the disew the exodus (Mack, 1973 source (171-74) oischen Pantheismas durch mittel-platonische Vorstellungen’ the middle Platonists’] symbolizations of wisdom as the place at the her and spouse (1572), and as a source or ” jack (1973): 193, cf. 194 HE Gi Mack (1873-75) 76 Gi B Bovancé (1901). 33H 7 sek (1973): 121, 28, cf, Bréhier (1950 * Jb (1909) sch 2488 7 th (1909): 79HE isch (1909): 79HE Ci Mack's judgment (1973-75: $1): ‘Mit dieser eine Deutung in b Freiheit, in jeder kleinsten Merkwardigkeit des Testes das schon ausgearbeitete, bewusste und vorhandene N ter de: lenweges indrinischen Exegese [..]in die Gefahr geraten, statt Theologie der Spitzéindigkeit zu treiben’,['With this freedom to ‘rediscover’ in the smallest pecu: ity of the text a meaning in accord with the plan of the soul's journey, which, worked out deliber assumed to be inherent i wieder zu ‘entdecken’ ist.) die ale cine Erudi stely in advance, not a theology b rant the risk of developing, ut only the skills of mere erudition’ ] sébier (1950 3L3cf 312 Gadamer (1990/1999), 79/72 Gadamer (1990/1999), 75/73 REFERENCES Alexandre, M. 1967. De Congressu Eruditionis Gratia, Introduction, traduction et notes, In Les on Philon d'Alexandrie Vol. 16. Ed. Roger Arnaldez et al. Batis: Editions du Cert Boyancé,P 1991, ‘Philon-Stadien’ In Der Mittelplatonisnaus. Ed C, Zintzen, Darmstadt: Wiss Buchgerellschait ; Emile. 1950, Les ide Picard Chadwick, Henry, 1966, ‘St Paul and Philo of Alexandria’, Bulletin of the John Rylands Libra es de schaitliche philosophic set religieuses de Philond’Alewandrie. Basis: Librairie Alphonse 49, yklios paideia: A Stady of its O: wa Vol. 3, 74-77. tions. Vol. I. Leiden iginal Meaning’. V th Notes and DeVe Greek Philosophy: 4 Collection of Text: xp Gadamen, H-G 1990/1999. W tamelte Werke, V Methode: Gru gen]. CB. Mohr (Ea! “zed by Joel Weinche chew 1 Tabi ition Translation 1990 a Way of Life: Spintual Exercises fron Socrates te Fowenult Ba and 2 Trans Michael Care Cxtord) Blackwell ge einer philosophischen Hermeneutik, beck, 1990, Thutl aid Method mer and Donald G Marshall New ad revised York: Continvum, Hadot, B 1995, Philosophy Introduction by Arnold I Davids: a8 PHILOSOPAIA ANCILLA THEDLOGIAE ARTICLESHad! E 1995/2002, Quiest-ce que la philosophie antique? Pacis: Gallimard, Philosophy? Trans, Michael Chase, Cambridge and London: Har ituels et philosophie antique. Préface d'Arnold I, Davidson, Nowvelle édition ue et augmentée. Baris: Albin Michel Heinemann, I 1938, Die Werke Philos von Alexandrien Ulmer, D. 1979, ‘Artes Liberales’. In the Theologiscte Taeger, Werner 1969, Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Cutt: Had! 2. Exercises re, 3 vols,, trans, G. Highet (New York: Oxford University Bress Mack, B. L. 1973, Logos und Sophia. Untersuchungen zur Weisheitstheologie im heller (Studien zur Umwelt des Newent ‘Mack, B. L, 1973-75, ‘Weisheit und Allegorie bei Ehilo von Alexandrien: Unter congressu eruditionis’, Theokratia: Jabrbuch des Institutum rou, Hl 1950/1992, H. Péducation dans Cantiquité Baris: Seuil, 1 ov Antig s. George Lamb, London: Sheed and Ward, 1956, reprint, Madi of Wi 1982) Mendelsohn, A. 1992, Secular Education in Philo of Alexandria, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union Coll Pannenberg, W 1977, Wissenschaftstheorie und Theologie. Frankfurt am Main: Subrkamp Verlag Philo, On Mating With the Prelinrinary Studies, In Philo. Vol. IV, Loeb Classical Library Trans. FH. Coli ith GH. Whitaker Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1932 Plato, The Republic of Plato,, Second edition Trans, Allan Bloom New York: Basic Books Runia, D.T 1993, Philo in Early Christian Literature, & ‘Testamentum Vol 3, Asten and Minneapolis: Van Gorcum and Fortress Press Runia, D.T 2009. ‘Philo and the Early Church Fathers’ In The Cambridge Companion to Philo, Ed Adam Kamesar Cambridge and New York: Cambridge Uni 210-230 ‘Thyen, H, 1955/1956, ‘Die Erobleme der neveren Philo-Forschung’, Theologische Rundso Volker, W 1950. ‘Review’, Deutsche Literatu Windisch, H. ligionsgeschichtliche Studie, Leipzig: Hinrichs Winter, BW 1997/2002, Philo and Pau! Among the Sophists: Alexandrian and Cormthian Responses to a Julio-Claudian Movement, Second edition. Grand Rapids, UK William B Eerdmans Publishing Comy Wolfson, HA. 1902, Philo: Foundations of Religious Philosophy i Judaisns, Christianity, and Isl and London: Harvard University Eress. chen Judentum -staments, Band 10. Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ma vey. Compendia Rerum Iadaicaram ad Nove cy Eres Christentum: Eine 9. Die Frommigkedt Philos ud fichigan, Carabri mi. vals Cite this article as: de Vries, Hent. 2008, Philosophia ancilla theologiae: Allegory and ascension in Philo’s, ‘On Mating with the Preliminary Studies {De congressu quaerendae eruditionis gratia). Translated by Ben-Levi, Jack. The Bible and Critical Theory § (3| pp. 41.1-41.12. DO! 10.2104/bc030041 PHILOSOPHIA ANCILLA THEOLOGIAE ARTICLES aus