Ben Gfrorer

Aristobulus of Alexandria, also known as Aristobulus the Peripatetic, was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher active in the 2nd century BC. He belonged to the Peripatetic school but also incorporated Platonic and Pythagorean ideas into his philosophy. His primary endeavor was to reconcile the concepts found in Greek philosophy and thought with the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures, a project also undertaken by his successor, Philo. Aristobulus argued that much of the wisdom in early Greek philosophy and literature originated from Jewish sources.

His work, known fragments of which survive through later writers like Clement and Eusebius, aimed to demonstrate parallels between the Mosaic writings and the works of ancient Greek poets and thinkers. He believed that Greek philosophers, including Plato, derived their insights from Jewish sages and ancient Hebrew texts. While some ancient sources mistakenly identified him with Aristobulus of Paneas or linked him to the Septuagint translation, his main contribution lies in his early attempts to bridge Hellenistic and Jewish intellectual traditions.

Aristobulus of Alexandria was a significant figure in Hellenistic Jewish philosophy, striving to integrate Greek intellectual traditions with Jewish religious thought. As a member of the Peripatetic school, he nevertheless drew upon Platonic and Pythagorean concepts to create a unique philosophical framework. His central aim was to demonstrate that the foundational ideas of Greek philosophy were not entirely original but had their roots in Jewish wisdom and ancient Hebrew texts. He posited that prominent Greek thinkers and poets, such as Homer, Hesiod, Orpheus, and notably Plato, had been influenced by Jewish sages and scriptures. This perspective positioned Jewish tradition as a source of ancient wisdom that predated and informed Greek intellectual development, a viewpoint echoed by later philosophers like Numenius of Apamea.

Although only fragments of Aristobulus's writings remain, they offer insight into his project of reconciling Greek philosophy with the Law of Moses. These surviving pieces, likely from a work titled 'Commentaries on the Writings of Moses,' are preserved through citations by later Christian theologians like Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius of Caesarea. Eusebius, in particular, quotes extensively from Aristobulus in his 'Praeparatio Evangelica.' These fragments suggest that Aristobulus sought to find allegorical and philosophical interpretations of the Pentateuch, highlighting perceived similarities between biblical narratives and Greek philosophical concepts. He is also credited with composing the first recorded Hexaemeron, an account of the six days of creation, though this work is now lost.