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ABSTRACTS
Summary
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
CHAPTER THREE - MIRACLE IN PHILO
For our purposes, Philo's exposition is far more useful than his more esoteric allegories. Philo's concept of miracle is more sharply defined than that of Josephus: there is more of a tendency to stress that miracles involve the humanly impossible, and less tendency for them to shade off into the merely providential or to accept any epistemological ambiguity about them. For Philo, a miracle is a special act of God that accomplishes something otherwise impossible, and which may be used as an objective proof of divine activity. Philo's preferred words for miracle and miracle-working include thaumatourgeo, megalourgeo, and teras, all of which tend to be reserved exclusively for the miraculous, although he sometimes uses semeion. The bulk of the miracles in Philo's writings occur in his narration of and references to the exodus events. Philo consistently stresses that the miracles he narrates are worked by divine power. Moses, and to a lesser extent Aaron, are associated with miracle-working as God's agents, but, despite a pair of apparent exceptions, are never represented as thaumaturges in their own right. Nonetheless, Moses is given a far greater role in miracle-working than any other human figure in Philo's writings; in Philo's treatment of miracles in Genesis the miracle is always worked by God without any intermediary. As with Josephus, Philo's narratives include punishment, deliverance, and provision miracles, but Philo also has evidential miracles that demonstrate God's activity or will. Although Philo is ready enough to discuss healing, he narrates no healing miracles, neither does he once mention exorcism. In common with Josephus, Philo occasionally provides a rationalizing explanation for a miracle, but nevertheless believes in the miraculous.
