The first three books of Philo's allegorical commentary on Genesis, interpreting the creation of man, the Garden of Eden, and the expulsion as an elaborate philosophical allegory. Every detail — the trees, the rivers, the serpent — becomes a symbol in Philo's fusion of Torah and Platonic philosophy.
Start ReadingThe first book of allegorical interpretation covers the creation of man and the two creation accounts in Genesis, reading them as descriptions of the intelligible and sensible aspects of human nature.
The second book interprets the Garden of Eden, the trees of life and knowledge, and the four rivers as symbols of virtue, wisdom, and the cardinal excellences of the soul.
The third book interprets the temptation, fall, and expulsion from Eden as the soul's seduction by pleasure (the serpent), the corruption of sensation (Eve), and the fall of reason (Adam).