PHILO JUDAEUS (circa. 20 B.C.E to 50 C.E.): “...I now proceed to the fifth commandment, relating to THE HONOR DUE TO PARENTS; which is, as I showed in the mention I made of it separately before, on the borders between those which relate to the affairs of men and those which relate to God. [225.] For parents themselves are something between divine and human nature, partaking of both; of human nature, inasmuch as it is plain that they have been born and that they will die; and of divine nature, BECAUSE THEY HAVE ENGENDERED OTHER BEINGS, AND HAVE BROUGHT WHAT DID NOT EXIST INTO EXISTENCE: FOR, IN MY OPINION, WHAT GOD IS TO THE WORLD, THAT PARENTS ARE TO THEIR CHILDREN; since, just as God gave existence to that which had no existence, they also, in imitation of his power, as far at least as they were able, make the race of mankind everlasting. [226.] And this is not the only reason why a man's father and mother are deserving of honor, but here are also several other reasons. For among all those nations who have any regard for virtue, the older men are ESTEEMED ABOVE the younger, and teachers ABOVE their pupils, and benefactors ABOVE those who have received kindnesses from them, and rulers ABOVE their subjects, and masters ABOVE their slaves. [227.] ACCORDINGLY, PARENTS ARE PLACED IN THE HIGHER AND SUPERIOR CLASS; for they are the elders, and the teachers, and the benefactors, and the rulers, and the masters. AND SONS AND DAUGHTERS ARE PLACED IN THE INFERIOR CLASS; for they are the younger, and the pupils, and the persons who have received kindnesses, and subjects, and slaves. And that every one of these assertions is correct is plain from the circumstances that take place, and proofs derived from reason will establish the truth of them yet more undeniably. [228.] I affirm, therefore, THAT THAT WHICH PRODUCES IS ALWAYS OLDER THAN THAT WHICH IS PRODUCED, AND THAT THAT WHICH CAUSES ANYTHING IS OLDER THAN THAT OF WHICH IT IS THE CAUSE; BUT THOSE WHO BEGET OR BRING FORTH A CHILD ARE IN SOME SENSE THE CAUSES AND PRODUCERS OF THE CHILD WHICH IS BEGOTTEN OR BROUGHT FORTH, and they stand in the light of teachers, inasmuch as all that they know themselves they teach to their children from their earliest infancy, and they not only exercise and train them in the supernumerary accomplishments, impressing reasoning's on the minds of their children when they come to their prime, but they also teach them those most necessary lessons which refer to choice and avoidance, the choice, that is to say, of virtues, and the avoidance of vices, and of all the energies in accordance with them....” - (Book II, Chapters 224-228, [Sections 38-39, ( XXXVIII-XXXIX )] “De Specialibus Legibus,” or “On Special Laws,” in “The Works of Philo Judaeus, The contemporary of Josephus, translated from the Greek,” By Charles Duke Yonge, London, H. G. Bohn, 1854-1890.) http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/yonge/book28.html

PHILO JUDAEUS (circa. 20 B.C.E to 50 C.E.): “...I am at my fifth article about the honour due to parents. As I demonstrated in a commentary especially devoted to the subject, we are here at the very border between human and divine things. [225.] Indeed, parents are ( midway between ) human and ( divine nature and participate in both ): in human anture, obviously because they are born and have to die ; ( in divine nature ) because they have ( pro-created and brought non-being into being ). Parents are to their children, I think, what God is to the world ; as God gave existence to non-existence, they too, imitating divine power as far as is humanly possible, bring immortality to our species...” - (Book II, Chapters 224-225, “De Specialibus Legibus,” or “On Special Laws,” Translated by Suzanne Daniel, Paris: Cerf, 1975.)
[FOOTNOTE]: Cross referrence also Decal. Chapter 107, and Spec. Bk II, Chapter 228.
http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=APjy8z7tIsAC&pg=PA237&lpg=PA237&dq=I+am+at+my+fifth+article+about+the+honour+due+to+parents.+As+I+demonstrated+in+a+commentary+especially+devoted+to+the+subject,+we+are+here+at+the+very+border+between+human+and+divine+things&source=bl&ots=nCYL5NPYSv&sig=ToF5SzaeS9tZ9_nvQDlcppUy4rE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TWIBU9iBBsuqlAW51oG4Bw&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=I%20am%20at%20my%20fifth%20article%20about%20the%20honour%20due%20to%20parents.%20As%20I%20demonstrated%20in%20a%20commentary%20especially%20devoted%20to%20the%20subject%2C%20we%20are%20here%20at%20the%20very%20border%20between%20human%20and%20divine%20things&f=false

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