izing presentation of the Jewish system in
the form of a "Life of Moses," and three appended tractates on the
virtues "Courage," "Humanity," and "Repentance." Scholars[83] are of
opinion that there are gaps in the extant "Life of Moses," but the
general plan of the work is clear. It is at once an abstract and an
interpretation of Jewish law for the Greek world, and also an ideal
biography of the Jewish lawgiver.

V. Philosophical monographs, not so intimately connected with the
Bible as the preceding works; but in the nature of rhetorical
exercises upon the stock subjects of the schools, which receive a
Jewish coloring by reason of Biblical illustrations.

VI. Historical and apologetic works that set out the case of the
contemporary Jews against their persecutors and traducers. Of these
writings the larger part has disappeared, and of a portion of those
which remain the genuineness has been doubted.

Lastly, there is a miscellaneous number of works ascribed to Philo,
which all good scholars[84] now admit to be spurious: "On the
Incorruptibility of the World," "On the Universe," "On Samson," and
"On Jonah," etc.

It will be seen from this classification of Philo's works, that he has
dealt in several ways with the Biblical material. The reason of this
is partly that his mind developed, and the interpretation of his
maturer years differed widely from that of his earliest writings.
Partly, however, it arises from the fact that the different treatments
were meant for different audiences, and Philo always took the measure
of those whom he was addressing. His most representative works are "a
triple cord" with which he binds the Jewish Scripture to Greek
culture. For the Greek-speaking populace he set out a broad statement
of the Mosaic law; for the cultured community of Alexandria, Jew and
Gentile, a more elaborate exegesis, in which each character and each
ordinance of the Pentateuch received a particular ethical value; and,
finally, for the esoteric circle of Hellenic-Jewish philosophers, a
theological and psychological study of the allegories of the law.
Origen, the first great Christian exegete of the Bible and a close
student of the Philonic writings, distinguished three forms of
interpreting: the historical, the moral, and the philosophical; he
probably took the distinction from Philo, who exemplifies it in his
commentaries upon the Books of Moses.

Varied as is its scope, the religious idea dominates all his work,