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== Gli Alessandrini ==
I commentatori greci di antichi poeti come Omero ed Esiodo da tempo erano preoccupati da incongruenze nel materiale che studiavano e dall'attribuzione a dei ed eroi di azioni moralmente riprovevoli. Platone accusava apertamente Omero di errori e raccomandava che le sue storie non fossero insegnate ai giovani, ma gli stdiosi alessandrini, specialmente gli [[w:Stoicismo|Stoici]], difendevano Omero raffinandone il testo, riempiendo i vuoti della narrazione in modo da presentare i loro eroi in una luce più favorevole e con forme allegoriche di interpretazione.<ref>Lamberton, ''Homer the Theologian''.</ref> Non c'è quindi da meravigliarsi che gli studiosi ebrei si cimentassero in pratice interpretative simili in merito ai propri testi sacri, non soltanto con scopi difiensivi e conversionistici, ma anche per dare un senso alle storie che avevano cominciato ad apparire incoerenti o contrarie alla buona morale.
Alcuni ebrei alessandrini, come gli storici classici delle cui opere erano consapevoli, si preoccupavano dei problemi cronologici delle fonti, specialmente nei libri che conosciamo come Bibbia. Per esempio, in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesi+15%3A13&version=CEI;LND;NR2006 Genesi 15:13], ad Abramo vien detto: "I tuoi discendenti saranno forestieri in un paese non loro; saranno fatti schiavi e saranno oppressi per quattrocento anni", e ciò è confermato da [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esodo+12%3A40&version=CEI;LND;NR2006 Esodo 12:40]: "Il tempo durante il quale gli Israeliti abitarono in Egitto fu di quattrocentotrent'anni"; tuttavia i particolari forniti in Genesi ed Esodo, come il numero delle relative generazioni, implica un periodo molto più corto. Il Septuaginta, traduzione greca prodotta ad Alessandria, supera la difficoltà conbtando i 430 anni a partire dal tempo della promessa ad Abramo; traduce: "Il tempo che i figli d'Israele trascorsero in Egitto ''e nelle altre terre'' fu di quattrocentotrent'anni."<ref>I rabbini in tempi successivi furono consapevoli di questa "traduzione" e ne accettarono l'interpretazione. Cfr. TB ''Meg.'' 9a.</ref>
[[w:Demetrio il cronografo|Demetrio il cronografo]], che visse ad Alessandria al tempo di [[w:Tolomeo IV|Tolomeo IV Filopatore]] (221-204 p.e.v.), è stato descritto da Carl Holladay come "forse il primo autore ebreo che si impegna sistematicamente nella critica biblica"; tuttavia i frammenti che rimangono dell'opera di Demetrio sembra come se cercassero di difendere, non criticare, la tradizione biblica.<ref>Holladay, ''Fragments'', III. 53. Holladay trascrive e traduce i frammenti esistenti di Demetrio a pp. 51-92.</ref> Non abbiamo traccia di cosa abbia detto riguardo alla durata della permanenza in Egitto, ma il suo tentativo di inserire le nascite dei figli e figlie di Giacobbe nel periodo minimo dato da Genesi 29-30 fu copiato da [[w:Alessandro Poliistore|Alessandro Poliistore]] e citato dal cristiano [[w:Eusebio di Cesarea|Eusebio]], "padre della storia della Chiesa", che divenne vescovo di Cesarea nel 314:<ref>[[w:Eusebio di Cesarea|Eusebio di Cesarea]], [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/eusebius_pe_09_book9.htm ''Praeparatio Evangelica'' 9.21.11] - teso dato nella traduzione {{en}} di E.H. Gifford (1903).</ref>
{{q|So after spending seven years there he married two daughters of his uncle Laban, Leah and Rachel, when he was eighty-four years old: and in seven years more there were born to him twelve sons; in the eighth year and tenth month Reuben, and in the ninth year and eighth month Symeon, and in the tenth year and sixth month Levi, and in the eleventh year and fourth month Judah. And as Rachel did not bear she became envious of her sister, and gave her own handmaid Zilpah to be Jacob's concubine, at which same time Bilhah conceived Nephthalim, in the eleventh year and fifth month, and bare a son in the twelfth year and second month, and Leah called him Gad: and of the same mother in the same year and twelfth month he begat another son, who was also named by Leah Asher.
And in return for the mandrake apples, which Reuben brought and gave to Rachel, Leah again conceived in her womb, and her handmaid Zilpah at the same time, in the twelfth year and third month, and bare a son in the same year and twelfth month, and called his name Issachar.
And again Leah bare another son in the thirteenth year and tenth month, and his name was Zabulon; and the same Leah bare a son named Dan in the fourteenth year and eighth month. And at the same time when Leah bare a daughter Dinah, Rachel also conceived in her womb, and in the fourteenth year and eighth month bare a son, who was named Joseph, so that in the seven years spent with Laban there were born twelve children.|''Praeparatio Evangelica'' 9.21.11}}
{{q|But it is time to hear what Aristobulus, who had partaken of Aristotle's philosophy in addition to that of his own country, declared concerning the passages in the Sacred Books which are currently understood to refer to limbs of God's body. This is that very man who is mentioned in the beginning of the Second Book of Maccabees:<ref>375 d 8 2 Macc. i. 10</ref> and in his writing addressed to King Ptolemy he too explains this principle.|''Praeparatio Evangelica'' 8.10}}
{{q|When, however, we had said enough in answer to the questions put before us, you also, O king, did further demand, why by our law there are intimations given of hands, and arm, and face, and feet, and walking, in the case of the Divine Power: which things shall receive a becoming explanation, and will not at all contradict the opinions which we have previously expressed.
But I would entreat you to take the interpretations in a natural way, and to hold fast the fitting conception of God, and not to fall off into the idea of a fabulous anthropomorphic constitution.
For our lawgiver Moses, when he wishes to express his meaning in various ways, announces certain arrangements of nature and preparations for mighty deeds, by adopting phrases applicable to other things, I mean to things outward and visible.
Those therefore who have a good understanding admire his wisdom, and the divine inspiration in consequence of which he has been proclaimed a prophet;<ref>Deut. xviii. 15, 18</ref> among whom are the aforesaid philosophers and many others, including poets, who have borrowed important suggestions from him, and are admired accordingly.
But to those who are devoid of power and intelligence, and only cling close to the letter, he does not appear to explain any grand idea.
I shall begin then to interpret each particular signification, as far as I may be able. But if I shall fail to hit upon the truth, and to persuade you, do not impute the inconsistency to the Lawgiver, but to my want of ability to distinguish clearly the thoughts in his mind.
First then the word "hands" evidently has, even in our own case, a more general meaning. For when you as a king send out forces, wishing to accomplish some purpose, we say, The king has a mighty hand, and the hearers' thoughts are carried to the power which you possess.
Now this is what Moses also signifies in our Law, when he speaks thus : "God brought thee forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand";<ref>Es. xiii. 9, 16</ref> and again: "I will put forth My hand," saith God, "and will smite the Egyptians."<ref>Es. iii. 20</ref> Again in the account of the death of the cattle Moses says to Pharaoh : "Behold, the hand of the Lord shall be upon thy cattle, and upon all that are in the fields a great death."<ref>Es. ix. 3</ref> So that the "hands" are understood of the power of God: for indeed it is easy to perceive that the whole strength of men and their active powers are in their hands.|''Praeparatio Evangelica'' 8.10}}
== Sadducei e Farisei ==
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