Why Encyclical Studies?

For what purpose should Jews in Alexandria go to encyclical teachers? Philo’s writings suggest the following answer. He never says so directly, but he is clearly of the opinion that it is necessary for Jews to participate

17 See e.g. Ebr. 82–83; Deus 143–44; Fug. 208, cf. Jn 1.43-58.

18 For this anthropology see Sandnes 2002: 108–32 and also Aune 1994.

19 In Gig. 29–31 the vision of God is distracted by marriage, the rearing of children and provision of the necessities of life. Daily business occupying common people causes the flower of wisdom to wither, but worst of all are bodily desires. The burden of flesh makes it impossible to look up to heaven. Cultivating of bodily desires means confinement to the earth.

and to familiarize themselves with this tradition. It was simply a part of living in this Greek city. The synagogues, with their emphasis on reading and studying, likewise motivated Jews to learn these skills, something which was easily available by seeing encyclical teachers.

Congr. 15 attests that Philo considered the study of Greek poets as providing a pool of examples for living: ‘For grammar [grammatikhv] teaches us to study literature in the poets and historians, and will thus produce intelligence and wealth of knowledge. It will teach us also to despise the vain delusions of our empty imagination by shewing us the calamities which heroes and demi-gods who are celebrated in such literature are said to have undergone.’

It is, however, worth noticing that Philo is here mentioning examples that should not be imitated but rather avoided. In the light of what he writes elsewhere, it seems likely that this implicitly conveys a critical attitude towards Greek literature.20 The examples to be pursued, Philo takes from the heroes of Jewish tradition.

Philo was concerned that encyclical studies could distract one from the most important thing, namely to ‘see God’; i.e. to know the God of Israel. This, according to Philo, was the summit of philosophy. Distractions were possible in various ways. When the achievement of knowledge was considered the ultimate aim, one could easily forget about God. Abraham’s love for Sarah was jeopardized by Hagar, and likewise Penelope’s suitors were distracted from her by the tempting maidservants. In Philo’s metaphor, this is a reference to the danger of apostasy or heresy (Spec. 1.134-36). When this happens, knowledge decays into sophistry (sofisteiva) (Prob. 4), which to Philo was productive not of virtue but of self-love.21Encyclical studies represent a danger when they are learned in a distorted form, or sought primarily as a means of gaining access to social status and public position (Leg. 3.167-68). To many – Jews included – this was a motivation to undergo such studies, thus reminding us again that Greek education, citizenship, status and position were intimately connected. In the text mentioned above from his Allegorical Interpretation, Philo interprets the manna miracle on the basis of Exod. 16.4: ‘and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day’. The point of departure for his allegory is the word ‘day’:

The day is a symbol of light, and the light of the soul is training [paideiva]. Many, then, have acquired the lights in the soul for night and darkness, nor for day and light; all elementary lessons [ta; propaideuvmata pavnta] for example, and what is called school-learning [ta; ejgkuvklia] and philosophy itself when pursued with no motive higher 20 Thus also Mendelson 1982: 6.

21 See Winter 2002: 82–85. The sophist, according to Philo, jeopardized the teaching of the virtues.

than parading their superiority, or from desire of an office under our rulers. But the man of worthy aims sets himself to acquire day for the sake of day, light for the sake of light, the beautiful for the sake of beautiful alone, not for the sake of something else. And this is why he goes on with the words: ‘that I may prove them whether they will walk in My law or no’ [Exod. 16.4]; for this is the divine law, to value excellence for its own sake. The right principle, therefore, tests all aspirants as one does a coin, to see whether they have been debased in that they refer the soul’s good to something external, or whether, as tried and approved men, they distinguish and guard this treasure as belonging to thought and mind alone. Such men have the privilege of being fed not with earthly things but with the heavenly forms of knowledge [mh; toi'" ghivnoi" ajlla; tai'" ejpouranivoi" ejpisthvmai" trevfesqai].

This highly philosophical text addresses the daily challenges related to encyclical studies to the Jewish population in Alexandria. People who participated in encyclical training, aiming at status and financial gain, have abandoned the propaideutic view of their education. The studies no longer have a noble goal, they are more or less their own end. When Philo distances himself from this practice, he joins philosophical traditions common in antiquity. Encyclical studies were necessary, but should not be an end in themselves. To describe the danger such studies might cause, Philo draws on the language of idolatry (Spec. 1.28-29). He mentions the false myths which are passed on by the help of melody and rhythm, thus increasing their capacity for deception. This criticism echoes pedagogical methods used by encyclical teachers as they read aloud from the classical texts.22Philo’s mind is probably on Homer’s role in promoting traditional Greek religion. Philo considered pictures and ornamental objects associ- ated with the schools as an influential and attractive means of promoting idolatry.

Philo’s writings are all, in various ways, an attempt to help Jews in the metropolis to find the limits of their participation in the pagan culture. Abraham’s relationship with both Sarah and Hagar represents Philo’s interpretation of how difficult it was to conduct a Jewish life in Alexandria. They found themselves in-between, just as did Abraham. The availability of encyclical studies in the city, as well as its necessity for participation in civic life, imposed an ambiguous challenge to Jews on a daily basis. Hence Philo emphasizes that Hagar was an Egyptian woman (Abr. 251; Congr. 20–21; QG 3.19), a fact which for Philo was of utmost importance. Firstly, this fact adds to the relevance of Gen. 16 for his fellow Jews in Egyptian Alexandria; there is a geographical link between the two. Furthermore, Hagar’s Egyptian origin represents the danger

inherent in encyclical studies. Egypt was, according to Philo’s exegesis of the Old Testament, the land from which the Jews had to flee. It was the land of temptation which they left behind.23

Although encyclical studies posed a potential threat,24 Philo did not abandon the pedagogical institutions found in the pagan city. Attending encyclical schools on Sabbath was, however, unacceptable to him. This day was reserved for the synagogue and for scriptural studies there. He conceived of the synagogue as kind of a school, and accordingly, he describes the activity there in pedagogical terms (Legat. 312; Spec. 2.62; Mos.2.216). In his writings therefore he urges his fellow Jews to consider themselves as participating in two forms of education; they are students in two schools, of which the Sabbath school is the more important.25 He therefore found it unacceptable to attend encyclical classes on Sabbath; nor did he endorse attempts to transform the Sabbath school into encyclical studies.26 The two were different, and they served different ends.