n8 PHILO'S POLITICSlitical power and responsibility have become transformed into Jews of
the mystic Goal, then, by the mercy of God and the prayers of the saints
(the Patriarchs), all Jews will suddenly experience the same transfor
mation, and will come out of their present slavery, their political bond
age. The world will watch with wonder as they gather from the corners
of the earth to return, under the leadership of their Guide, to their own
place. Then will come the happy Age, with enemies discomfited, and
the Jews in such peace and prosperity as their ancestors have never ex
perienced. The great Ax has indeed laid them low now, but it has not
cut the root of Judaism as Philo elsewhere promises it will cut the root
of the other "trees." The old Jewish root is left, and from it will miracu
lously spring up a new and mighty trunk.^131
The Messianic hope is indeed integrated with Philo's mystic concepts,
surprisingly so in a treatise which in general moves on a "normative"
level. Taking this passage with the reference to the Husbandman in De
Somniis it seems to me that Philo's Messianic hope was a very vital part
of his thought. It is not surprising that we get so little expression of it
from a man as prominent politically as Philo; rather the wonder is that
Philo's "caution" has put even this much of it in writing. My own guess
is that we have in this hope with its peculiar mode of fulfillment the
real answer to the question why Philo felt himself, in spite of his mystic
leanings, so powerfully driven into political life. He says that only as
the men in a position to make "promises and treaties" for the Jews be
came Jews who had really conquered in the Mystery could the great
relief come for the people. The mercy of God, the prayers of the Patri
archs, these were important, of course. But the decisive thing which
made these divine mercies available was the presence of Mystic leaders
in practical politics for the Jewish people. This may well have been
Philo's sense of call. It was truly a despairing ambition to try to live the
mystic life in Roman Alexandria. But only as he, Philo, faced this call
ing with the courage of his embassy to Gaius, could the rest of the Jews
hope for the deliverance of the great Age to come. He, or men greater
than he, must be the political "saviors", of the Jews.
The notion opens up a great many interesting suggestions for the in
terpretation of the Mystery. For our present political purposes it is suffi
cient that Philo has definitely committed himself to the dream of the
Messianic Age familiar to all Jews at the time, an age which will be
- Exs., 166 to end.