Philo of Alexandria, On the Contemplative Life

In this volume of the Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series, originally published by Brill in hardcover, Joan E. Taylor and David M. Hay explore what social, cultural and political factors influenced Philo's presentation of the Therapeutae, a Jewish philosophical group of men and women, as the pinnacle of excellence. Through stinging parody of those in Alexandria who vilified and attacked the Jewish community, Philo manages to avoid direct confrontation while artfully defending the Jewish community's place in the broader Roman world.