Abstract

This paper explores the human archetypes presented in the Fourth Gospel and in Philo of Alexandria, with particular attention to their respective conceptions of the ideal human figure. Both traditions present a singular individual who mediates between God and humanity, characterizing this figure through personified metaphysical-philosophical terms and emphasizing the excellence of vision and knowledge. In the Gospel, this archetype is Jesus, the incarnate Logos, while in Philo, it is Moses, who embodies the pure Nous. Whereas previous studies have focused extensively on the conceptual parallels between Philo’s and John’s logos doctrines, they have given scant attention to the correspondence of John’s personified Logos to Philo’s personified Nous. To address this gap, this study examines the Logos-Jesus in John and the Nous-Moses in Philo by analyzing the ideas and ethical visions they articulate and discussing how they converge or diverge in their respective understandings of the ideal human. The primary methodologies include philological analysis, intertextual comparison, and the history of ideas. This paper also critically engages with scholarship on the possible connection between the Fourth Gospel and Philo, particularly the line of inquiry initiated by C. H. Dodd’s 1953 proposal of shared symbols. Determining whether Philo’s concept of nous influenced the formation of the logos in John lies beyond the scope of this paper.