Person

Philo of Alexandria

c. 20 BCE–c. 50 CE · 1st century

Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria and wrote in Greek. He interpreted the Hebrew scriptures allegorically in the light of Greek, especially Platonic, philosophy, and his works influenced early Christian theologians. Around 40 CE he led an embassy of Alexandrian Jews to the emperor Gaius (Caligula) after violent riots in the city.

Philo of Alexandria
Image: André Thévet · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

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Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Philo of Alexandria. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philo-of-alexandria
MLA
“Philo of Alexandria.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philo-of-alexandria. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Philo of Alexandria.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philo-of-alexandria.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Philo of Alexandria’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philo-of-alexandria (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻