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The Logos as an Angel Philo of Alexandria

The concept of the Logos as an angelic being is deeply embedded in ancient Jewish and Hellenistic thought, particularly in the writings of Philo of Alexandria. Philo describes the Logos as a mediator between God and the world, an intermediary power that functions as God’s messenger and creative agent. In this framework, the Logos takes on characteristics commonly associated with angels, particularly in its role as the divine Word, the great archangel, and the ruler of Israel. *Philo’s Description of the Logos as an Angel* Philo of Alexandria explicitly refers to the Logos as an angelic being. In On the Confusion of Tongues 146, he writes: “And even if there be not as yet anyone who is worthy to be called a son of God, nevertheless let him labor earnestly to be adorned according to His first-born word (*Logos*), the eldest of his angels, as the great archangel of many names; for he is called the authority, and the name of God, and the word (*Logos*), and man according to God’s image, and he who sees Israel.” Here, the Logos is directly called “the eldest of His angels” and “the great archangel.” This passage highlights the Logos as the firstborn of God’s heavenly host, emphasizing its function as a divine messenger and ruler over Israel. In On Dreams 1.215, Philo further describes the Logos as the angelic presence of God: "For God, as Shepherd and King, leads all things according to justice; and the divine Word (*Logos*) is the divider of all things, and the captain and pilot of the universe, and the law by which all things are directed. But some say that He is Himself a man, and that he is called 'the Being' (*ho ōn*), and that he is the eldest of the angels, both the ruler of Israel and the visible Lord, who, being the eldest of all, is called the Archangel." Philo’s description aligns with the Jewish belief that God communicates with the world through angelic intermediaries. The *Logos*, as the highest angelic being, functions as God's visible manifestation and ruler of Israel, similar to the Angel of the Lord in the Hebrew Scriptures. *The Logos and the Angel of the Lord* The Logos shares attributes with the Angel of the Lord in the Hebrew Bible, who speaks on behalf of God and is often identified with God’s presence. For example, in Exodus 3:2-6, the Angel of Yahweh appears in the burning bush, yet the text later states that it was God speaking. This duality mirrors Philo’s conception of the Logos as both distinct from and unified with God. Additionally, Exodus 23:20-23 describes an angel sent to guide Israel, stating that “my name is in him.” This aligns with Philo’s description of the Logos as “the name of God” and suggests that the Logos was understood as an angelic manifestation of the divine will. *The Logos in Relation to the Aeons and Emanations* The Valentinian tradition later incorporated a similar understanding of the Logos as an emanation from the divine. According to the followers of Valentinus: “The Angel is a Logos having a message from Him who is. And, using the same terminology, they call the Aeons Logoi.” Here, the angelic function of the Logos is emphasized in relation to divine emanations, reinforcing the idea that the Logos serves as a divine intermediary, much like the angelic host in Jewish cosmology. *The Logos and the Role of Angels in Creation* The Book of Jubilees describes the angels as God’s agents in creation: And the angel of the presence spoke to Moses according to the word of Yahweh, saying: Write the complete generations of the creation, how in six days Yahweh Elohim finished all his works and all that he created... For on the first day he created the heavens which are above and the earth and the waters and all the spirits which minister before him; the angels of the presence, and the angels of sanctification..." The connection between the Logos and the angelic hosts aligns with the idea that divine intermediaries execute God's will. Psalm 33:6 states: “By the Word of Yahweh were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (Psalm 33:6). The Logos is often associated with the creative power of God, acting as the agent through which the heavens and earth were formed. Genesis 1:3 states, “Let there be light,” and it was the Logos*—as the divine Word—that brought light into being. This creative role aligns with Philo’s depiction of the *Logos as a mediator between the transcendent God and the material world. The Emanation of the Logos and the Angels In Jewish and early Christian thought, angels are often understood as emanations of the divine, extending God's presence into the world while maintaining His transcendence. Philo expresses this view when he describes the Logos as an "emanation" or an "offspring" of God, similar to how angels are portrayed. The Logos