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On the Embassy to Gaius
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On the Embassy to Gaius

essay by Philo Judaeus
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The essay "On the Embassy to Gaius" by Philo Judaeus details his experience as part of a Jewish delegation to the Roman emperor Caligula. This embassy was sent to Alexandria in 39 or 40 CE to protest anti-Jewish actions by the Roman governor Aulus Avillius Flaccus and to defend the rights of Jews in Egypt. Philo, a prominent Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, led this delegation. The essay serves as both an account of the mission and a critique of Caligula's hostility towards the Jews. Despite their efforts, the embassy was unsuccessful, and Caligula ultimately ignored their pleas. Shortly after this event, Caligula was assassinated. Philo's writings, including this essay, offer valuable insights into Jewish life and thought in the Diaspora during the 1st century CE.12

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  1. Philo Judaeus
  2. Judaism - Egyptian Jewish literature

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