Language:
English
Year of publication:
2023
Titel der Quelle:
The Social Worlds of Ancient Jews and Christians
Angaben zur Quelle:
(2023) 186-201
Keywords:
Celsus Criticism and interpretation
;
Origen.
;
Philo, Appreciation
;
Bible Allegorical interpretations
;
Paganism Relations
;
Christianity
;
Paganism Relations
;
Judaism
Abstract:
In the second century CE, a learned pagan named Celsus wrote an extensive critique of Christianity. The critique achieved enough recognition that Origen wrote a response. This contribution explores how a pagan, a Jew, and a Christian who were all influenced by Platonism, interacted by exploring whether we can determine if Celsus knew the works of Philo via Origen’s Contra Celsum. It considers four lines of evidence: Celsus’s recognition of “the more reasonable” Jewish interpreters who rejected literal interpretations for allegorical readings, esp. Gen 2:21–22; the specific example of anthropomorphisms, especially Gen 2:2; the extent of the Jewish allegorical readings; and a shared understanding of the First Principle, especially the ineffability of God.
DOI:
10.1163/9789004524866_010
URL:
Locate this publication in Israeli libraries
Permalink