Philo on Converts

Philo

On the Special Laws 1.51

First Half of 1st Century

[A]‌ll who spurn idle fables and embrace truth in its purity, whether they have been such from the first or through conversion to the better side have reached that higher state, obtain His approval, the former because they were not false to the nobility of their birth, the latter because their judgement led them to make the passage to piety. These…

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In this passage, Philo extols non-Jews who choose to enter the covenant to become members of the Jewish people. Similar welcoming attitudes toward converts are expressed in Josephus’s Against Apion and the ancient Jewish romance Joseph and Aseneth.

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Converts

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Real and Imagined "Others" in Ancient Jewish Literature

4th Century BCE–6th Century CE
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Ancient Jewish Literature

4th Century BCE–6th Century CE

Creator Bio

Philo

ca. 25 BCE–ca. 40

Philo of Alexandria was one of the most important figures in Hellenistic Judaism and a significant influence on early Christianity. Raised in a wealthy Jewish family and educated in Greek rhetoric and logic, Philo served as a delegate to Rome on behalf of the Jewish community of Alexandria. Most innovative among his writings are his commentaries on the Pentateuch, which approach the text allegorically and employ various Platonic perspectives in their interpretations. Philo appears to have had only minimal exposure to the Hebrew and likely relied on the Septuagint and synagogue orations on the biblical texts.

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