Philo in history: reading Legatio ad Gaium against Claudius' letter to the Alexandrians

As a scholarly source of information, Philo is suspect for similar reasons as we suspect Josephus.  Both are described by Christian scholars as “Hellenzied Jews,” which is meant to convey the impression that they were assimilated Jews:  Jews who self-identifed as Jews, but who had successfully integrated themselves into the dominant, non-Jewish society.

The problem with that understanding is that it is…wrong.  Josephus had himself adopted into the Flavian family, thereby disowning himself from his Judean patrimony.  Philo we know little of except from fragments that he provides (as with Legatio ad Gaium), and from Josephus, in Antiquities (which should already tell us that Philo is someone whose veracity might be doubtful).

From Josephus, we know that Philo’s brother Alexander held the position of alabarch.  This was apparently a high office that involved supervising the collection of revenues.  Alexander was so wealthy that King Agrippa I often borrowed money from him.  The implication of this is that Philo was a member of a family that was prominent in the Jewish community at Alexandria, and would account for Philo’s inclusion in the embassy to Caligula.  Philo's nephew Tiberius Julius Alexander, Alexander's son, became the Roman procurator in Judea in 46-48 CE, abandoning his religion and patrimony, and played an important role for the Romans in their suppression of the Jewish revolt of 66-70 CE. 

This gives us an idea of the status that the family achieved with respect to Rome, and why Jewish scholars are uninclined to assume Philo’s impartiality regarding his  history and “philosophy.”  It would seem, from his family associations, that his intent in his “philosophy” was less to proselytize Judaism than it was to reassure his Greco-Roman audience that a Judean who was siding with Romans could be trusted.

When reading Legatio ad Gaium, it is worthwhile to reference Philo’s account against Claudius’ letter to the Jews of Alexandria. Legatio is presumed to date around between 37-41 CE (Caligula’s reigh), and Claudius’ letter is dated around 41 CE.