Page:The Classical Heritage of the Middle Ages.djvu/117

 ▼] MYSTERIES AND SYMBOLISM W the Pentateuch to be inspired truth, and thinks that the Greeks drew their wisdom from the works of Moses. The Christian Fathers took many scriptural interpretations from Philo's writings.^ The Old Testament abounds in images; the later prophets, Ezekiel and Daniel, construct elaborate alle- gories. Likewise the earliest Christian writings. The synoptic gospels have the parables ; John's gospel, its images; the Book of Revelation is the culmination of Hebrew allegorical apocalyptic literature; and the " Shepherd of Hermas," one of the earliest and most popular of the extra-canonical writings, is allegory from beginning to end. Thus image and allegory were native with Christianity's forerunner, and sprang to renewed life with Chi-istian beginnings. The Gen- 1 For example, in Philo, Allegories of the Sacred Laws, I, 19, the four rivers of Eden represent the four virtues, prudence, temper- ance, courage, justice: the main stream, out of which they sepa- rate, is generic virtue, the Wisdom of God. This interpretation is retained by the Fathers. Philo's chief works were: (1) ZT^nara k€u Av<r«4«, Questiones et solutiones, on the Pentateuch ; this work gives the literal meaning as well as the allegorical significance ; it was used by the Fathers, especially by Ambrose ; (2) Nomw^ itpity ikXriyopiat, the large allegori- cal commentary devote<l entirely to the allegorical meaning. Schiirer (Jewish People, etc.. Ill, 330) says that its " fundamental thought is that the history of mankind as related in Genesis is in reality nothing else than a system of psychology and ethic. The different individuals, who here make their appearance, denote the different states of soul (rpovoi r^ ^vxn«) which occur among men. To ana- lyze these in their variety and their relations both to each other and to the Deity and the world of sense, and then to deduce moral doctrines, is the special aim of this great allegorical commentary." Turning Biblical thought into Greek affecU Philo's style, and makes him a literary pre<'ursor of the Greek Fathers. Cf. Croiset, Hist, de la lit. Orecque,, pp. 430-434.