Some error occured while loading the Quick View. Please close the Quick View and try reloading the page.
On the Contemplative Life is known for its depiction of a philosophical group of Jewish men and women known as the ‘Therapeutae’. Yet the reasons for their depiction have been little understood. In the first commentary on the treatise in English for over 100 years, the social, cultural and political background of the times in which Philo lived are shown to be crucial in understanding Philo’s purposes. As Alexandrian Jews were vilified and attacked, Philo went to Rome to present the case for his community, faced with intense opposition. Side-stepping direct confrontation, Philo here cleverly presents the Therapeutae as the pinnacle of excellence, most especially in their communal meal, while ridiculing his accusers in a stinging parody of a festive banquet.
Price: $218.00
Pages: 430
Publisher: Brill
Imprint: Brill
Series: Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series
Publication Date:
27 November 2020
ISBN: 9789004438149
Format: Hardcover
"Taylor's commentary is eminently readable and demonstrates her skill as a historico-philological exegete. She has a keen eye for Philo’s rhetorical strategies and makes him come alive as a spirited defender of Judaism and the Jewish people (....) This is without doubt the best commentary ever written on this text. (...) I unreservedly recommend Taylor’s book to both classical and Judaic scholars for use as a good guide to De vita contemplativa." - Pieter van der Horst, in BMCR 2021
"Die Kommentierung lässt in beiden Bänden an Ausführlichkeit, Detailliertheit und Breite der herangezogenen Quellen, Gedanken und historischen Hintergründe kaum etwas zu wünschen übrig, kann aber in einer Rezension nicht sinnvoll gewürdigt werden. Leser und Nutzer werden sie [...] dankbar und hoffentlich häufig zur Kenntnis nehmen." - Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr, Markkleeberg, in: Theologische Literaturzietung 149 (2024) 10
"Die Kommentierung lässt in beiden Bänden an Ausführlichkeit, Detailliertheit und Breite der herangezogenen Quellen, Gedanken und historischen Hintergründe kaum etwas zu wünschen übrig, kann aber in einer Rezension nicht sinnvoll gewürdigt werden. Leser und Nutzer werden sie [...] dankbar und hoffentlich häufig zur Kenntnis nehmen." - Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr, Markkleeberg, in: Theologische Literaturzietung 149 (2024) 10
Joan E. Taylor, Ph. D. (1990), is Professor of Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism at King’s College London. Among many books and articles, she is author of The Essenes, the Scrolls and the Dead Sea (OUP, 2013).
David M. Hay, Ph. D. (1965), was Joseph E. McCabe Professor of Religion at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He authored and edited many works, especially on Paul and Philo, and was a founding member of the Studia Philonica Annual.
David M. Hay, Ph. D. (1965), was Joseph E. McCabe Professor of Religion at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He authored and edited many works, especially on Paul and Philo, and was a founding member of the Studia Philonica Annual.