Complete Works of Philo Judaeus (Vol. 4)

...For this reason he said that the one who was translated is not found, being difficult to discover and difficult to capture. He is therefore moved from ignorance to education, from folly to prudence, from cowardice to courage, and from impiety to piety; and again, from love of pleasure to temperance, and from love of glory to humility. What wealth is worth these things, or what acquisition of kingship and power is more beneficial? For if one must speak the truth, the wealth that is not blind but sees clearly is the abundance of virtues, which one must immediately assume to be the genuine and lawful dominion, in contrast to the bastard and falsely named authorities, justly governing all things. One must not be ignorant that repentance takes the second place to perfection, just as the change from weakness to health is to a healthy body. The continuous and perfect state in virtues stands nearest to divine power; but improvement from a certain time is a peculiar good of a well-disposed soul, which does not persist in childish things but seeks, with more robust and truly manly dispositions, a serene state of soul, and runs toward the contemplation of beautiful things.

§. 5. Hence, he reasonably places after the one who has repented, the man who is beloved by God and a lover of virtue, who is called Noah in the language of the Hebrews, and "Rest" or "Just" in that of the Greeks, designations most appropriate for a wise man. "Just" is manifest; for nothing is better than justice, the leader among virtues, or as if in a chorus, it takes precedence by being the most beautiful. "Rest" Philo interprets the name Noah as resting is appropriate since the opposite, unnatural movement, happens to be the cause of disturbances, tumults, factions, and wars, which the base pursue; but those who have honored nobility and goodness pursue a life that is calm, resting, stable, and peaceful.