Biblical Antiquities of Pseudo-Philo

Historical scan page 63

PHILO AND THE NEW TESTAMENT 59 interest in the subject of Satan and evil spirits : Esdras never mentions thenn, Baruch very seldom, Philo rather oftener, but not often, and always vaguely. {e) What points of contact are there, it will be asked, between Philo and the New Testament ? My answer is that there are not many direct resemblances. There are a few coincidences of language, and one or two illustrations of beliefs. That the author, living at the date to which I assign him, was conscious of the existence of Christianity, I do not doubt : whether he allows his consciousness to find expression in his book, I do doubt. He is not a speculative theologian or a controversialist ; he sticks very close to the language of the Old Testament, and steers clear of disputed questions. I see no veiled polemic in his stories of the idolatry under Kenaz, or of Aod the Magician and Micah. The persecution under Jair may very well be an imitation of the Maccabsean martyrdoms, or of the story of the Three Children. The stress laid on the eternity of the Law may as well be a prophylactic against heathenism as against Christianity. Paganism is, I think, a more formidable adversary in his eyes than heresy. The tradition of the " rock that followed them " (X. 7, XI. 15 : see the notes) and of the identity of Phinehas with Elijah (XLVIII.) are the chief that bear on New Testament thought. With refer- ence to the latter it should be noted that the words of St. Mark (ix. 13), "as it is written of him," are specially interesting, as showing that Elijah upon his return to earth was to suffer death (in which Philo agrees), and that there was written teaching to that effect. Among coincidences of language I reckon : new heavens and earth, III. 10; they that sleep, ibid, and elsewhere;