About This Text
Author: Philo of Alexandria
Composed: Alexandria, c.10 BCE – c.50 CE
Concerning Noah’s Work as a Planter is an allegorical commentary to part of Genesis, written by Philo in first-century Alexandria. After interpreting God’s “planting” of Eden and analyzing later biblical planting in terms of humans learning from the first Planter, the author shifts focus to vines in particular. He cites the verse in which the righteous Noah plants a vineyard and gets drunk (Genesis 9:20), leading to discussion of the philosophical question of whether drunkenness is wise. The present 20th-century English translation from the original Greek includes an introduction and endnotes.