The Royal Narrative in Light of the Adamic Tradition and the Doctrine of Logos: A Commentary on Philo of Alexandria’s “On the Creation of the World According to Moses”

Abstract

This article raises the issue of reinterpreting the Jewish religious teachings about man in philo­sophical tradition using Philo of Alexandria’s treatise “On the Creation of the World Ac­cording to Moses” as an example. Philo’s work is an attempt to reinterpret the Adamic nar­rative of man’s divine status in relation to the world through the ideas of the creative and mediating Logos’ role between the divine and physical worlds. The origin of this position may be the conflict in Alexandria in 38, that Philo experienced and described in his writings. The cross-cultural differences and disputes between the Egyptians, the Jews, and the Greco-speaking population of Roman Egypt provide an opportunity to explain religious teachings to those brought up in a Hellenistic cultural context. The purpose of this article is to explore how Philo of Alexandria reinterprets the myth of creation, using images that emphasize the divine origin and royal inheritance of humanity. The article consistently examines both the doctrine of the Logos as an intermediary in the transfer of royal functions to people and the interpretation of human nature and status in the context of the mystical, stoic and pla­tonic teachings of the time. As a conclusion, we can suggest evidence that Philo of Alexan­dria used philosophical terminology not only to bring Jewish and Greek cultures closer to­gether, but also to distance them from Egyptian culture. He reveals the doctrine of the royal status of man in the Adamic tradition for Hellenistic philosophy, introducing new ideas about human nature.