Why do scholars consider Biblical Antiquities falsely attributed to Philo Judaeus?

Scholars consider Biblical Antiquities to be falsely attributed to Philo Judaeus primarily because the work is fundamentally distinct from his known writings in both origin and content.12

While Philo’s genuine works were composed in Greek by an Alexandrian philosopher deeply influenced by Hellenistic culture, Biblical Antiquities was originally written in Hebrew before being translated into Greek and eventually surviving only in Latin. Furthermore, the text functions as an imaginative reconstruction of Jewish history from Adam to the death of Saul, incorporating legendary accretions of biblical details that show strong affinities with rabbinic Midrashim.12

In contrast, Philo’s authentic treatises are characterized by a specific, albeit often obscure, philosophical style that is heavily allegorical and focused on the Pentateuch. Because Biblical Antiquities lacks the stylistic hallmarks of Philo’s work and aligns more closely with Palestinian Jewish literature of the period, it is classified as a pseudepigraphal work rather than a genuine composition by the Alexandrian philosopher.12