How did Philo Judaeus view the Jewish ceremonial laws?

Philo Judaeus regarded himself as an observant Jew and maintained that the Jewish ceremonial laws were divinely ordained and must be strictly followed.1

He explicitly criticized two groups regarding their approach to these laws:
* Those who interpreted the Bible too literally, which led to theological difficulties such as anthropomorphism.1
* Those who engaged in excessive allegorical interpretation, arguing that because the laws were symbolic or parables, they no longer required physical observance.1

Philo rejected the latter view, which anticipated later antinomianism, and insisted that one should not omit the observance of any divinely ordained custom. While he utilized allegory to explain the deeper philosophical meaning of the laws, he maintained that this intellectual interpretation did not negate the necessity of practicing the rituals themselves. His work serves as a significant record of the relationship between Palestine and the Diaspora regarding ritual observance and legal practice.1