Complete Works of Philo Judaeus, Vol. 2

of which life is full? For a face is a part of an animal, but God is the whole, not a part. Thus it is necessary to invent other things as well:
227 M. neck, chest, hands, and further the stomach, feet, and reproductive organs, and the countless other multitude of things both inside and outside. Anthropomorphism follows necessarily from human form; since these things are not superfluous or redundant, but nature fashioned them as aids to the weakness of those who have them, adapting whatever is necessary for their own needs and services. But the Existent is in need of nothing, so that He does not need the benefit of parts, nor could He have parts at all.

§. 2. And where does He go out from, if not from the palaces of the All-Ruler? What could be a sensible house of God except this world, which it is impossible and impracticable to leave? For all things that have a beginning are encompassed and held within the circle of the heavens. For even the parts of those who have died, when they are resolved back into their elements, are separated into the powers of the All from which they were composed, the loan granted to each being returned according to unequal terms by the nature that has brought them together, whenever it wishes to collect its own debts. And indeed, he who goes out from one place leaves behind what is of himself in another; but it happens that it follows that some parts of God in the world are widowed, since He leaves nothing empty or deserted of Himself, but fills all things through all things. If God has no face, as He has transcended the properties of all generated things, and does not dwell in a part, as He is containing and not contained, it is impossible for anything to migrate from this world, as if from a city, with no part of it being left outside. It would remain, therefore, for us to consider that none of the proposed items is said literally, and to turn to the path of allegory, which is dear to men who are natural philosophers, having made the beginning of the discussion from this point.