The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-02-15
TWO CONTEMPORARIES OF
JESUS

Jesus did not appear, like Lycurgus or
Agamemnon, in prehistoric times. He
does not belong to a non historical period.
He appeared in the reign of Augustus
Cesar-in the very midst of the Roman
clvilisation-when Western Asia. South
ern Europe, and North Africa were in a
blaze of light. Virgil and Horace were
just dead. Ovid was writing his anna
tory verses. Jesus was contemporary
OF the philosopher Seneca, of Josephus, of
the celebrated Philo of Alexandria This
Philo was one of the most accomplished
men of his day-a master of geometry,
grammar, philosophy, music, and poetry,
and the just pride which she felt in him
was expressed by his wife, who, when
asked why she alone of all her sex did
not wear any golden ornaments, replied
The virtue of husband is a sufficient
ornament for his wife" Philo was Jew,
and, according to Josephus, member of
the sacerdotal family. He wrote extern
sively on theology and philosophy, and
although Neo-Platonism developed in the
Sd century, its real founder was Philo.
1t was he who developed the idea of the
LogoS, whom he describes as the perfect
image Of the Father. In the reign of
Caligula, about A D. 40, he was sent as
chief OF an embassy to that emperor by
the Jews of Alexandra, and he was in
Rome again in the reign of Claudius.
We also know that at least on one occa-
sion, he visited Jerusalem. Photius even
affirms that he was friend of the Apos-
tie Peter but this is improbable. He
had brother named Alexander Lysi-
machus, employed in the affairs of gov
eminent in Alexandria, and who is sup
posed to be the Alexander mentioned in
Acts iv: 6, as a man "of the kindred of
the high priest"
The Logos of Philo was the frst-born
before all existence, the perfect refec-
ton OF God, the archangel among the an
gels, the original power of the divine
powers, the vicegerent of God in the
world, the mediator between God and
the phenomena of the universe, the high
priest of the world, the paraczete Tor ad-
vocate) for the defects of men with God.
The writings of Philo, of the author of
the Book of Enoch, and of the author of
the Apocalypse of Ezra, show that the
Jews OF our Saviour's day were by no
means the novices in theology we are
apt to suppose them to have been. The
philosophising fathers of the early Church
drew largely on the works of Philo, and,
as we have said, the eclectic system of
Neo-Platonism, which was an attempt to
combine the philosophy of Plato with
Christianity, really originated in the at
tempt OF Philo to form a philosophical
system out of Platonism and Judaism.
We have, we may add, in the writings of
this contemporary Of Jesus Ode Legat.
ad Caium, xxxviiD an interesting delin-
cation Of the character Of Pontius Plate.
There was another famous man livinpi
Gin Jerusalem) during the earthly minis
try of our Lord
When the Jews returned from the
Babylonian captivity, the language in
which the sacred oracles were written
was dying out, and the Hebrew had
ceased, in large degree, to be the Ian
guage Of the people. There arose, in
consequence, new body Of men in Judea
the Sophez5n1 or SERIES They were
called Sopherjm from the Hebrew word |
s2pher, which means to cou1t--they
counted the letters Of the law. Ezra or
ganised this body after the captivity, and
ne himself was the chief sopher or scribe
-" one occupied 1ojth books, and inter- /
prefer of the Book" The functions Of
the Scribes gradually enlarged. They
copied the Pentateuch, the plylacteries,
and the Mezuzoth; they guarded the
Bible against interpretations and oorrup-
lions, and for this purpose counted the