Philo of Alexandria, a Hellenized Jew, is a figure that spans two cultures, the Greek and the Hebrew. When Hebrew mythical thought met Greek philosophical thought in the first century B.C.E. it was only natural that someone would try to develop speculative and philosophical justification for Judaism in terms of Greek philosophy. Thus Philo produced a synthesis of both traditions developing concepts for future Hellenistic interpretation of messianic Hebrew thought, especially by Clement of Alexandria, Christian Apologists like Athenagoras, Theophilus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and by Origen.

Joseph Flesch was a German merchant; born in Rausnitz, Moravia; died there Dec. 17, 1839. He wrote excellent Hebrew, was a collaborator of the "Bikkure ha-'Ittim," and translated into Hebrew several of the writings of Philo, notably "Quis Rerum Divinarum Heres Sit" (under the title "Ha-Yoresh Dibre Elohim," Prague, 1830) and "De Vita Moysis" (under the title "Hayye Mosheh," ib. 1838). To the former work is added the oration which Joseph delivered at his father's funeral. The list of Jewish scientists which he compiled under the title "Reshimat Anshe Mofet," and which has appeared as an addition to M. J. Landau's work on Isaiah, and also separately (Prague, 1838), is faulty and unreliable. His father, R. Abraham Flesch (born Jan. 22, 1755; died. Jan. 24, 1828), was rabbi in Rausnitz, Moravia.

Added t.p.: Philonis Judaei de Vita Mosis. Hoc est de theologia et prophetia idiomate graeco olim descripta et in tres libros divisa, nunc autem in linguam hebraicam translata auctaque cum notis in usum lectorum; nec non adnexus liber quartus continens Decalogum, quod est juris sumarium ab eo ipius auctore alibi interpretatum. His libellus quintus additus est de Essaeis et Therapevtis in unum congessit et edidit in lucem impensis propriis Josephus Flesch... עמ' [13]: עתה אחל ספר את מה קרהו. [שיר מתוך] שירי תפארת [לר' נפתלי הירץ וויזל] מחברת שניה שיר החמישי. [2], 40, [3] עמ', עם שער מיוחד: ספר כתות מני קדם, מדובר בו נכבדות מן כת האיסים וכת תרפתא... כמו שכבר ספר מהם בלשון יון... ידידי' אלכסנדרי... בספר אחד המכונה בשם חיי ההתבונות ובקצת ספרו כל צדיק חפשי ועתה נעתק ללשון עברי... מאת יוסף פלעש... עי' כשר-מנדלבוים, שרי האלף, ניו יורק תשי"ט, עמ' מו, מס' 32.