The despoliation of Egypt in pre-rabbinic, rabbinic and patristic traditions / by Joel Stevens Allen.

• Superior document: Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae, v. 92
• Author: Allen, Joel Stevens.
• Year of Publication: 2008
• Language: English
• Series: Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae ; v. 92.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (313 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.
• Other title: Preliminary Material /; Introduction: The despoliation of Egypt in pre-rabbinic, rabbinic and patristic traditions /; The Septuagint /; The book of Jubilees /; Artapanus /; Ezekiel the tragedian /; The Book of Wisdom /; Philo’s life of Moses /; Philo’s who is the heir? /; Josephus /; Excursus: The social background of the ‘Fair Wage’ interpretation /; Midrashic pondering the plunder /; Irenaeus /; Tertullian /; Origen /; St. Augustine /; The despoliation: Other Patristic texts /; Conclusions and ramifications /; Bibliography /; Index /
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references (p. [281]-298) and indexes.
• ISBN: 1282399063; 9786612399060; 9047433564
• ISSN: 0920-623X
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: by Joel Stevens Allen.

This work examines the role played by the biblical motif of the despoliation of Egypt in the understanding Gentiles had of Jews, and how Jews defended themselves, their heroes and their God in the face of anti-Jewish slander. It also examines the manner in which Christians learned from their rabbinic counterparts how to defend Moses and his God against the gnostic challenge. Beginning with Philo and based on haggadic additions, the embarrassment of the episode was 'healed' through allegory and became a critically important biblical justification for the Christian appropriation of the 'Egyptian treasures' of their Greco-Roman cultural heritage. This work describes how Christians borrowed exegetical traditions from rabbis not only to defend their sacred texts against gnostic attacks but to justify their interest in and appropriation of non-Christian philosophy in their theological understandings.