Reincarnation in Philo of Alexandria

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Philo of Alexandria is an important representative of Hellenistic diaspora Judaism. His writings, devoted to a large extent to the allegorical exegesis of the Books of Moses, profoundly influenced Christian theology during its formative centuries. The strong element of Greek philosophy in Philo’s thought has been recognized since antiquity, but his relation to the Pythagorean-Platonic tenet of reincarnation has been a neglected, even avoided, topic in research. This book confirms the view-common in the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries-that Philo accepted the doctrine even though he preferred not to speak openly about it. The book shows how allegorization enables Philo to give a reincarnational interpretation to very different scriptural passages.