s sold into slavery; and
then by the Divine inspiration he becomes the ideal statesman. Very
suggestive is Philo's homily, by which he develops the Bible
narrative, that the function of the statesman is to expound
dreams;[142] because his task is to interpret the life of man, which
is one long dream of changing scenes, wherein we forget what has gone
before, as the fleeting shadow leads us from childhood to youth, from
youth to manhood, from manhood to old age. Lastly, from the story of
Joseph he draws the lesson that when the Hebrew has attained to a high
position in a foreign land, as in Egypt, where there is utter
blindness about the true God, he can and should retain his national
laws,[143] and not assimilate the practices of his environment.

Eusebius[144] mentions, among the works of Philo which he had before
him, a book on "The Statesman," in which doubtless the principles of
government and social life were more fully treated. The book has
disappeared, but the life of Joseph suffices to show that Philo
recognized the place of public service in the human ideal.

Moses is not only the divinely inspired legislator, but he typifies
also the perfection of the human soul, the highest example of the man
at one with God, supreme as king, lawgiver, priest, and prophet. He is
the link between God and man, the perfect interpreter of the Divine
Word; and though Philo avoids the suggestion of any Divine power
incarnate in man, he speaks imaginatively of the Logos of Moses,[145]
_i.e._, his reason, as identical with the Logos of God, the Divine law
of the universe. It is significant of his attitude to religion that he
lays no stress upon the miracles of the Bible narrative. Not that he
rationalizes them away; he rejects all rationalizing whatsoever; but
he interprets them as great spiritual signs, rather than as diversions
from the laws of nature. His allegory of the burning bush, which Moses
saw at Horeb is typical, and presents a truth to which the whole
history of Israel bears witness. The weak thorn-bush, which was not
consumed by the fire, is the image of the idea of Israel, which almost
cries to the people in their misfortune: "Do not despair! Your
weakness is your strength, and by it you shall wound race after race.
You will be preserved by those who wish to destroy you, and you shall
not perish. In evil days you shall not suffer, and when a tyrant
thinks to uproot you, you shall shine forth the more in brighter
glory