Complete Works of Philo Judaeus, Vol. 2

and wisdom, existing before Tanis and all of Egypt. For by nature, the soul is older than the body, virtue is older than vice, and that which pertains to the mind is older than that which pertains to Tanis—for Tanis is interpreted as "a command of response"—evaluating the older by merit rather than by length of time.

§. 18. For this reason, He also calls Israel, although younger in time, "firstborn son" original: "Exod. 4, 22." in merit, demonstrating that the one who sees God is the most primordial being, honored as the firstborn of the Unbegotten, born from virtue which is hated among mortals, to whom the law commands as the eldest that "a double portion of the birthright be given" original: "Deut. 21, 17.". This is also why the seventh day is an offspring in order to the six, but in power, it is the oldest of every number, differing nothing from the Monad the number one, representing the divine unity. He himself will declare this in the epilogue of the creation of the world, saying, "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works which He had made; and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; because in it He rested from all His works which God began to make." Then he adds, "This is the book of the generation of heaven and earth when it was made, in the day that God made heaven and earth" original: "Gen. 2, 2—4.". These things happened on the first day, so that the seventh refers back to the Monad, the first and beginning of all things. We have extended this in order to show more clearly the opinion which Cain thinks he must construct, as if it were a city.

§. 19. The son of Enoch is called Gaidad original: "Gen. 4, 18.", which is interpreted as "a flock," and very consistently so. For it was fitting for him who grants everything to the mind, and who is unable to grasp even his own nature, to generate irrational powers that are gathered into a flock; for this is not the doctrine of rational men. Any flock that does not have a shepherd standing over it necessarily suffers from great misfortunes, as it cannot by itself push away harmful things or choose things that will be beneficial. This is why Moses, in his prayer, says, "Let the Lord, the God of spirits and of all flesh, appoint a man over this congregation who will go out before them and who will come in, and who will lead them out and who will lead them in, so that the congregation of the Lord will not be as sheep which have no shepherd" original: "Num. 27, 16.". For when the one who stands over or oversees or is a father—or whatever one prefers to call the upright reason of our constitution—is gone, having left the flock within us, it is destroyed through neglect, and it becomes a great loss for the master. The irrational and rebellious creature, widowed of the herd-leader who would admonish and educate it, is banished far from a rational and immortal life.