PHILO JUDEUS, or Philo the Jew, an ancient Greek writer, descended of a noble family amongst the Jews, flourished at Alexandria during the reign of Caligula. He was the chief of an embassy sent to Rome about the year 42 A.D., to plead the cause of the Jews against Apion, who had been sent by the Alexandrians to charge them with neglecting the honours due to Caesar. He afterwards went to Rome in the reign of Claudius, and both Eusebius and Jerome inform us that he became acquainted with St Peter, with whom he lived on terms of friendship. At a later period, it is said, his son Tiberius Alexander married Bernice, the daughter of King Agrippa.
Philo was educated at Alexandria, and made very great progress in eloquence and in philosophy. After the fashion of the time, he cultivated, like many of his nation and faith, the philosophy of Plato, whose principles he so thoroughly
imbibed, and whose manner he so well imitated, that it became a common saying, Aut Plato philonizat, aut Philo platonizat. Josephus describes him as a man "eminent on all accounts;" and Eusebius represents him as "copious in speech, rich in sentiment, and sublime in the knowledge of Holy Writ." He was, however, so much immersed in philosophy, particularly the Platonic, that he neglected the Hebrew language, and also the rites and customs of his own people. Scaliger, Grotius, and Cudworth declare that, though a Jew by nation, he was yet very ignorant of Jewish literature and of Jewish customs. But Fabricius and Mangey think differently. In his works, however, there are certainly many excellent things. Though he is continually platonizing and allegorizing the Scriptures, he abounds with fine sentiments and lessons of morality; and his morals are rather the morals of a Christian than those of a Jew. History, as well as his own writings, give us every reason to believe that he was a man of great prudence, constancy, and virtue.
His works were first published in Greek by Turnebus, at Paris, 1552; and to these a Latin translation, executed by Gelenius, was afterwards added. The best editions are those of Paris, 1640; Dr Mangey, London, 2 vols. folio, 1742, of which the text is considered to be the best; Richter, 8 vols. 8vo, 1828-30, with additions not before published. The works of Philo Judeus have been translated into English by C. D. Yonge, forming 4 vols. of Bohn's "Ecclesiastical Library," 1854.