Thrice-Greatest Hermes, Vol. I — G. R. S. Mead (1906)

1 De Mut. Norn., § 2 ; M. i. 579, P. 1045 (Ri. iii. 159).

2 De Mund. Op., § 2 j M. i. 2, P. 2 (Ri. i. 6).

But beyond all else Philo is useful to us in recording the views of contemporary Hellenistic theology concerning the concept of the Logos, the Mystery of the Heavenly Man. the Son of God. Even as this word of mystic meaning comes forward in almost every tractate and fragment of our Trismegistic literature, so in Philo is it the dominant idea in a host of passages.

It should, however, never be forgotten that Philo is but handing on a doctrine ; he is inventing nothing. His testimony, therefore, is of the greatest possible value for our present study, and deserves the closest attention. We shall accordingly devote the rest of this chapter exclusively to this subject, and marshal the evidence., if not in Philo's own words, at anyrate in as exact a translation of them as we can give ; for although much has been written on the matter, we know no work in which the simple expedient of letting Philo speak for himself has been attempted.

THE SON OF GOD

The Logos, then, is pre-eminently the Son of God, for Philo writes :

"Moreover God, as Shepherd and King, leads [and rules] with law and justice the nature of the heaven, the periods of sun and moon, the changes and harmonious progressions of the other stars — deputing [for the task] His own Eight Reason (Logos), His Firstborn Son, to take charge of the sacred flock, as though he were the Great King's viceroy." l

Of this Heavenly Man, who was evidently for Philo the Celestial Messiah of God, he elsewhere writes :

" Moreover, I have heard one of the companions of Moses uttering some such word (logos) as this : ' Behold i De Agric., § 13 ; M. i. 308, P. 195 (Ri. ii. 116).

Man whose name is East,' l — a very strange appellation, if you imagine the man composed of body and soul to be meant; but if you take him for that Incorporeal Man in no way differing from the Divine Image, you will admit that the giving him the name of East exactly hits the mark.

" For the Father of things that are hath made him rise as His Eldest Son, whom elsewhere He hath called His First-born, and who, when he hath been begotten, imitating the ways of his Sire, and contemplating His archetypal patterns, fashions the species [of things]." 2

Here we notice first of all Philo's graphic manner (a commonplace of the time) of quoting Ezekiel as though he were still alive, and he had heard him speak ; and, in the second place, that the First-born Son is symbolically represented as the Sun rising in the East.

THE TRUE HIGH PRIEST

That, moreover, the Logos is the Son of God, he explains at length in another passage, when writing of the true High Priest:

" But we say that the High Priest is not a man, but the Divine Reason (Logos), who has no part or lot in any transgressions, not only voluntary errors, but also involuntary ones. For, says Moses, he cannot be defiled either 'on account of his father,' the Mind, nor 'on account of his mother,'3 the [higher] Sense — in that, as I think, it is his good fortune to have incorruptible and perfectly pure parents, — God for father, who is as well Father of all things, and for mother Wisdom, through whom all things came into genesis ; and because 'his head hath been anointed with oil,' — I mean his ruling principle1 shineth with ray-like brilliance, so that he is deemed fit for robing in his vestures.

1 Or Rising. Cf. Zech. vi. 12 — where A.V. translates : " Behold the man whose name is The Branch." Philo, however, follows LXX., but reads fodptairos instead of avfy. The Man-doctrine of the " Pcemandres " and of the Naassene Document was a fundamental one with Philo.

2 De Gonfus. Ling., § 14 ; M. i. 414, P. 329 (Ri. ii. 262).

3 Cf. Lev. xxi. 11.

"Now the Most Ancient Eeason (Logos) of Thatwhich-is is vestured with the Cosmos as his robe ; — for he wrappeth himself in Earth and Water, Air and Fire, and what comes from them ; the partial soul [doth clothe itself] in body ; the wise man's mind in virtues.

" And ' he shall not take the mitre from off his head,' [signifies] he shall not lay aside the royal diadem, the symbol of his admirable rule, which, however, is not that of an autocrat-emperor, but of a viceroy.