The Land of the Body
Studies in Philo's Representation of Egypt
by Sarah J.K. Pearce
This book presents the first extended study of the representation of Egypt in the writings of Philo of Alexandria. Philo is a crucial witness, not only to the experiences of the Jews of Alexandria, but to the world of early Roman Egypt in general. As historians of Roman Alexandria and Egypt are well aware, we have access to very few voices from inside the country in this era; Philo is the best we have. As a commentator on Jewish Scripture, Philo is also one of the most valuable sources for the interpretation of Egypt in the Pentateuch. He not only writes very extensively on this subject, but he does so in ways that are remarkable for their originality when compared with the surviving literature of ancient Judaism. In this book, Sarah Pearce tries to understand Philo in relation to the wider context in which he lived and worked. Key areas for investigation include: defining the ‘Egyptian’ in Philo’s world; Philo’s treatment of the Egypt of the Pentateuch as a symbol of ‘the land of the body’; Philo’s emphasis on Egyptian inhospitableness; and his treatment of Egyptian religion, focusing on Nile veneration and animal worship.
Sarah J.K. Pearce, Born 1965; 1988 Bachelor of Divinity (University of London); 1995 DPhil (Oriental Studies, University of Oxford); Ian Karten Senior Lecturer in Jewish History, The Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations, University of Southampton.
- By (author) Sarah JK Pearce
Other Titles in this Series
Future Hope and Present Reality
Volume I: Eschatology and Transformation in the Hebrew Bible
Volume 293
Common Ground and Diversity in Early Christian Thought and Study
Essays in Memory of Heikki Raisanen
Volume 495
Väterfiguren im lukanischen Gedächtnisgemälde
Die identitätsstiftende Funktion von Abraham, Mose und David in der intentionalen Geschichtsschreibung des Lukas
Von Ben Sira zu Paulus
Gesammelte Aufsätze zu Texten, Theologie und Hermeneutik des Frühjudentums und des Neuen Testaments
Key Events in the Life of the Historical Jesus
A Collaborative Exploration of Context and Coherence
Volume 247
Eschatologie – Eschatology
The Sixth Durham-Tubingen Research Symposium: Eschatology in Old Testament, Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity (Tubingen, September, 2009)
Volume 272
The Eucharist – Its Origins and Contexts
Sacred Meal, Communal Meal, Table Fellowship in Late Antiquity, Early Judaism, and Early Christianity. Volume I-III
Volume 376
Creation Concepts and Creation Care
Perspectives from Early Judaism, Early Christianity, and Beyond. Kontexte und Normen neutestamentlicher Ethik / Contexts and Norms of New Testament Ethics XVII
Heil und Geschichte
Die Geschichtsbezogenheit des Heils und das Problem der Heilsgeschichte in der biblischen Tradition und in der theologischen Deutung
Schriftgelehrte Prophetie
Der eschatologische Teufelsfall in Apc Joh 12 und seine Bedeutung für das Verständnis der Johannesoffenbarung
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