Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why did Philo Judaeus lead an embassy to Caligula in 39 or 40 CE?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Philo Judaeus led an embassy to the Roman emperor Caligula in 39 or 40 CE following a violent pogrom against the Jewish population in Alexandria.1

The primary purpose of this mission was to petition the emperor to reassert and protect the rights of the Jewish community that had been granted by the Ptolemies and subsequently confirmed by the emperor Augustus. During this diplomatic effort, Philo also sought to defend the Jewish community against charges of disloyalty brought forward by the Greek grammarian Apion.1

While Philo was in Rome, the broader context of Jewish-Roman relations was strained by Caligula’s demand that a statue of himself be erected in the Temple at Jerusalem, a move that sparked intense religious opposition among Jews who viewed such an act as a profound desecration.23