Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Philo (Hellenist)

PHILO. A Jewish Hellenist of this name is the author of an epic poem in Greek hexameters on the History of Jerusalem, and lived at an earlier date than the philosopher, Alexander Polyhistor quoting several passages of his book about 80-60 B.C. From Alexander Eusebius derives these extracts from the poem (Præp. Ev., ix. 20, 24, 37). This is probably the Philo who is mentioned by Clemens Alexandrinus (Strom., i. 21, 141) and Josephus (C. Ap., i. 23). See Philippson's work on the Jewish poets Ezechiel and Philo (1830) and Müller, Fr. Hist. Gr., iii. 213 sq.