Philo on Soul and Body

Philo

On Husbandry 5.20–25

First Half of 1st Century

It is for this reason that Moses, the all-wise, ascribes to the righteous man soul-husbandry as a science in keeping with him and rightly pertaining to him, saying “Noah began to be a husbandman,” whereas to the unrighteous man he ascribes that working of the ground which is without scientific knowledge and carries very heavy loads. For he says,…

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Philo regularly allegorizes the biblical accounts of the patriarchs. Here he explains that “husbandry,” or agricultural cultivation, refers to how one is meant to develop one’s soul and to minimize the passions of the earthly body. According to his interpretation, the fruit of a well-cultivated and virtuous soul is a fulfilled and happy life.

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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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