Tilden: Philo Judaeus 



11 



and chin, and their left hanging by their side.-^ Then the oldest and 

 the one most experienced in their doctrines comes forward and 

 addresses them with a steadfast gaze and steady voice, with good 

 logic and sound reason, not making a display of his cleverness in 

 speaking like the orators or the sophists of today, but having ex- 

 amined closely and interpreting carefully the exact meaning of the 

 ideas, which interpretation does not then touch merely the tips of 

 then ears but penetrates thru their sense of hearing into their soul 

 and there remains permanently. All the others listen in silence, 

 showing their assent only by glances of the eye or by nods of the head. 



And this common holy place in which they gather on the seventh 

 day is a double inclosure. divided into a place for the men and a place 

 for the women. And this is so for the women also customarily make 

 up part of the audience, having the same zeal and the same faith.-- 

 The wall between the rooms is l)uilt up three or four cubits in height 

 above the floor like a breastwork or partition', and the part from 

 the top of this partition to the ceiling is left open, for two reasons, 

 first tnat the modesty which i- becoming in the female sex may be 

 safeguarded; and. second, that their hearing of what is said may be 

 easy since they sit within easy hearing distance and nothing can 

 intercept the voice of the speaker. 



IV 



After having laid down self-control t or temperance i as a kind of 

 foundation for the soul.--^ the speakers build upon this the other 

 virtues. Xot one of them would partake of food or drink before sunset 

 since they think that philosophizing is consistent with the light, 

 while the necessities of the body are worthy of darkness: whence 

 they assign the one to the daytime, and the other to a brief portion 

 only of the night. Some even forget about food for three days,-' 

 but these are the ones in whom a greater longing for knowledge is 

 implanted. Some are so delighted and enjoy themselves so thoroly 



Conybeare says that he has observed Polish Jews on a Sabbath day 

 preserve the same attitude in walking. 



--'The Essenes excluded women from commimion and aKJciria. and they 

 also in general frowned upon marriage. The Therapeutae freely married and 

 gave equal rights to women in religious observances. 



-•■'In Xenophon. Me/norabilia 1. 5. 4 we read: 'Ts it not the duty of every 

 man to regard self-control to be the foimdation of every virtue., and to make 

 this the first consideration in his mind?"" 



Philo in his Lift of Moses 3, 2, l-to writes of the forty-day fast of Moses. 

 The early Christians often fasted during Holy Week. Cf. Matthew 4, 1-11, 

 and John 4, 32. 



