Torrey Seland, «Saul of Tarsus and Early Zealotism. Reading Gal 1,13-14 in Light of Philo’s Writings», Vol. 83 (2002) 449-471
One of the most consistent features in the portraits of Saul of Tarsus in the Acts of the Apostles and in the letters accredited to Paul, is the fervent zeal of his youth. The zeal of the young Saul has been dealt with in several studies, drawing on the issue of zealotry in Palestine, but the conclusions reached are rather diverse. The present study suggests that the often overlooked phenomenon of zealotry in the writings of Philo of Alexandria should also be considered. The material from Philo does not support the view that the early zealots formed any consistent movement or party, but that they were vigilant individuals who took the Law in their own hands when observing cases of gross Torah transgressions.
equivalent in the Greek world and it can only be understood in the religious perspective 34.
When we consider the terms zh=loj, zhlo/w, and zhlwth/j together, it becomes evident that the view of Hengel is basically correct when it comes to the writings of Philo. In the works of Philo, zh=loj can be used in both a positive and a negative sense, depending on the objects associated with the concept. There is a zh=loj that is good, and to be striven after, and there is a bad one which is to be avoided.
1. The violent zeal of Spec. 1,54-57 and 2,252-254
The most important texts in the works of Philo dealing with the violent zeal according to the model of Phinehas are Spec. 1,54-57 and 2,252-25435. The whole passage of 1,54-57 is part of Philo’s exposition of the first two Commandments of the Decalogue (cf. Spec. 1,12 and 2,1), drawing on the episode of Phinehas to legitimate actions against the transgressors36. This text segment is thus to be regarded