Complete Works of Philo Judaeus (Vol. 4)

God held the middle place; on his right was divine goodness, which is properly called God, and on his left was kingly power (δύναμις power), which should be called Lord. These powers do not differ in reality, but refer to the triple image of a single subject (24-28). After this, Philo teaches that the Pentapolis in the Sodomite land overthrown denotes the five senses and their fallacies and punishments, but one was saved from it, vision, which is much more certain than the other four senses and less deceives the mind (29-31). Abraham was also famous because he placed the firmest faith in God, the most shining proof of which was the slaughter of his son commanded by God (32-34). God was so pleased with the man's most ready obedience that He returned the son whom He had asked to be sacrificed, and with him "eternal joy," of which Isaac is the symbol (35, 36). Furthermore, Abraham's mind is praised for being mild and peaceful toward men (37, 38) and strong in waging war, by which it is signified that a quiet life is best, and that the victory won over things that affect the senses is the most splendid (39, 40). Sara, Abraham's wife, behaved in a way worthy of equal praise, as she bore with a strong mind not only all the good things of life but also the bad (41, 42), and she even spurred her husband to produce offspring from a handmaid (43). Finally, it is worthy of mention that Abraham did not mourn his dead wife longer than it befits a truly wise man (44), and that he constantly believed in God (45, 46), even when He sent him evils to be borne.

Vol. II. Page 1 ed. M.

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§. 1. Of the sacred laws recorded in five books, the first is called and inscribed Genesis, having received that designation from the creation of the world, which it contains in the beginning; and this is so, even though myriads of other matters are included, such as those concerning peace or war, or abundance and scarcity, or famine and plenty, or the greatest destructions on earth by fire and water, or the contrary, the births and prosperous growth of animals and plants according to the temperate state of the air and the annual seasons, and of men who lived according to virtue or vice. But since some of these are parts of the world, and others are its experiences, and the world itself is the most perfect and complete thing, he dedicated the whole book to it.
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