Philo of Alexandria's Exposition on the Tenth Commandment

Know about the book -

Philo of Alexandria's Exposition on the Tenth Commandment is written by Hans Svebakken and published by Society of Biblical Lit. It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 1589836197 (ISBN 10) and 9781589836198 (ISBN 13).

In his comprehensive exposition of the Tenth Commandment (Spec. 4.79–131), Philo considers the prohibition “You shall not desire”: what sort of desire it prohibits (and why) and how the Mosaic dietary laws collectively enforce that prohibition. This volume offers the first complete study of Philo’s exposition, beginning with an overview of its content, context, and place in previous research. In-depth studies of Philo’s concept of desire and his concept of self-control provide background and demonstrate Philo’s fundamental agreement with contemporary Middle-Platonic moral psychology, especially in his theory of emotion (pathos). A new translation of the exposition, with commentary, offers a definitive explanation of Philo’s view of the Tenth Commandment, including precisely the sort of excessive desire it targets and how the dietary laws work as practical exercises for training the soul in self-control.