Works of Philo of Alexandria

Philo — Works Vol. I, Yonge — Section 96

ON THE ALLEGORIES OK THE SACRED LAWS. 63 XIV. "And God planted a paradise in Eden, in the east; and there he placed the man whom he had formed : " • for he called that divine and heavenly wisdom by many names ; aud he made it manifest that it had many appellations ; for he called it the beginning, and the image, and the sight of God. And now he exhibits the wisdom which is conversant about the things of the earth (as being an imitation of this archetypal wisdom), in the plantation of this Paradise. For let not such impiety ever occupy our thoughts as for us to suppose that God cultivates the land and plants paradises, since if we were to do so, we should be presently raising the question of why he does so : for it could not be that he might provide himself with pleasant places of recreation and pastime, or with amuse-, ment. Let not such fabulous nonsense ever enter our minds ; for even the whole world would not be a worthy place or habi- tation for God, since he is a place to himself, and he himself is full of himself, and he himself is sufficient for himself, filling up and surrounding everything else which is deficient in any respect, or deserted, or empty ; but he himself is sur- rounded by nothing else, as being himself one and the uuiverse. God therefore sows and implants terrestrial virtue in the human race, being an imitation and representation of the heavenly virtue. For, pitying our race, and seeing that it is exposed to abundant and innumerable evils, he firmly planted terrestrial virtue as an assistant against and warder-off of the diseases of the soul ; being, as I have said before, an imitation of the heavenly and archetypal wisdom which he calls by various names. Now virtue is called a paradise metaphorically, and the ap- propriate place for the paradise is Eden ; and this means luxury : and the most appropriate field for virtue is peace, aud ease, and joy : in which real luxury especially consists. Moreover, the plantation of this paradise is represented in the