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Re: Contra Apion and Porphyry
On Mon, 30 Sep 1996 08:49:52 -0400 (ED, <orion@pluto.mscc.huji.ac.il> wrote:
> Joseph Baumgarten recently compared an apparent restriction on
>sex in 4QD with Contra Apion 2.199 (in Milgrom Festschrift, pomegranates and Be
>Bells). The Loeb edition of Contra Apion (also called Against the Greeks)
>includes four notes which say, more or less, that what Josephus is
>supposedly writing about Jews generally appears closer to the Essenes.
>(Josephus, vol. 1, thackeray, ed., first printed 1926)
> Several scholars have observed similarities between Contra Apion
>2
>and philo's apology for the Jews (also called Hypothetica). That's the book
>in which Philo wrote that Moses in effect founded the Essenes--a claim so
>surprising that is is often misunderstood or ignored (in eusebius
>E
>Praep. Evang. 8.11.1).
> Porphyry, who wrote in Greek, but who may have known at least one
>Semitic language, wrote on Essenes in his De Abstinentia 4.11. Porphyry
>says his sources for Essenes are josephus, War 2 (which uses the Essenoi
>form), Antiquities 18, and Against the Greeks book 2. In each case Porphyry
>also mentions the correct number of books in each work. Why did Porphyry
>have the impression that Against the Greeks (=Contra Apion) book 2
>discussed Essenes? Any suggestions?
>sincerely,
>Stephen goranson UNC-Wilmington
>home: 706 Louise Circle J, Durham NC 27705
The section of Josephus' Antiquities that we commonly see headed " Contra
Apion" contains what appears to be " Contra Apion" itself, plus some
extra material. In Porhyry's day, Josephus' work was evidently
differently divided from what it is today. See Molly Whittaker: Jews and
Christians. Graeco-Roman Views. Cambridge Universtiy Press, 1984 for a
comment on " Contra Apion." See also Menahem Stern's: Greek and Latin
Authors on Jews and Judaism.