Philo's Preserved Treatments of Abrahamic Materials

Migration follows the thread of Gn 12.1-6
QuGen 3 covers Gn 15-17
Heir is basically a rambling commentary on Gen 15
Congressu follows Gn 16.1-6a
Flight follows Gn 16.6b-14
Names starts at Gn 17.1
[[Dreams 1 picks up at Gn 28.12]]
On Abraham seems organized differently:
48ff (triad of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob)  [see Testaments of these three]
62ff (migration),  // MigrAbr // Heir passim (Gen 15),
(Gn 17.1) 99 yrs old -- Names 1, QG 3
(Gn 17.1) God/Lord seen, discussion -- Names 15ff (Heir 22)
(Gn 18.27) unworthy to speak -- Heir 30
(Gn 15.1f) vision, question of heir -- Heir 1f, 22, 31, 65ff
Mesek etymology -- Heir 39ff, 61 [text consistency problem!]
Eliezer etymology -- Heir 58
count stars -- Heir 86ff [astronomer tradition; regularity of the stars]
belief -- Heir 90ff = Abr 262 Migr 44
(Gn 15.9ff) not dividing the birds -- QuGen 3.1-62; Heir 102ff, 125ff, 207, 230ff, 237ff
(Gn 15.12) trance -- Heir 249, 258
(Gn 15.13f) exodus -- Heir 267ff
(Gn 12.1ff) departing Chaldea, -- Heir 69, 96f, 277ff
Chaldean wisdom --  Names 16 [astronomy/astrology focus?] Migr 178ff
beyond Chaldean wisdom -- Names 16
(Gn 15.15) to fathers [death] -- Heir 275ff // QuGen 3.1-62 [all] on Gen 15-17
(Gn 15.16) Amorites -- Heir 300ff
(Gn 15.17) fire -- Heir 307ff
(Gn 15.18) covenant -- Heir 313
81ff (names; Gen 17.5, 15)
Abram = excellent/sublime father (QG 3.43; knowledge of astronomy; Names 66)
Abraam = lofty father (Alleg 3.83); father of elect sound (QG 3.43; wisdom; Names 66ff)
Abraham "the inspector" (Heir 30)
Sara = your princedom (QG 3.53; virtues); my authority [Sarai?] (Names 77; specific virtue)
Sarra = princess (QG 3.53; incorruptible virtue = Names 77, generic virtue)
89ff (marriage), // QuGen 3.18, 21; Heir 258 (Gen 12.10-20)
107 (3 men; Gen 18).
133ff (Sodom; Gen 19),
168ff (Isaac; Gen 17.16, 19)
no heir? (Gen 15.2) Heir 2, 34
laughter of Abr & Sar (Gen 17.17): Alleg 3.85
Isaac means laughter, delight, joy Alleg 3.87, Names 1
praised before birth:  Alleg 3.86
sacrifice (Gen 22.1ff): Dreams 1.194ff
Isaac represents "self-taught race" -- Dreams 1.194b, Names 1
angel stops him by repeated name-- Dreams 1.195
209ff (tiff with Lot; Gen 13.5-11),
225ff (defeating kings; Gen 14),
245ff (death of Sarah; Gen 23)
   247ff (flashback to Hagar-Ishmael; Gen 16.1-6; 17.18, 20)  // Dreams 1.240 // QuGen 3.19ff // Flight
255ff (resumes on death of Sarah; Gen 23),
262ff (belief in God; Gen 15.6) [see also above, 62ff // Heir 90ff]
270ff ("elder") -- the unwritten law!

Philo provides a rich picture of Abraham as the patriarchal father (with Isaac and Jacob). This is in accord with the narrative of Genesis, and also aligns with the existence of "Testaments" of those three patriarchs in association.

Philo also has access to various explanations of the names of Abram-Abraham (as well as Sara-Sarrah, and Isaac). This alerts us to the existence of etymological traditions (see the later Onomastica literature) in the first century, traditions that play a major role in Philonic writings (see Grabbe).

Abraham is also, for Philo as for Josephus, a major interpreter of the astronomical evidence and a witness to "Chaldean" wisdom in that context.