Lysimachus (brother of Philo)
Lysimachus or possibly known as Julius Lysimachus, (flourished 1st century BC & 1st century) was an Alexandrian Jew who lived in the Roman Empire. Lysimachus was a brother of the Jewish Philosopher, Historian Philo and the Pro-Roman Aristocrat Alexander the Alabarch. Lysimachus is mentioned in Philo’s On Animals.
Lysimachus was born and raised in Alexandria Egypt. He came from an aristocratic family who lived in Alexandria for generations. His ancestors and family were contemporaries to the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty and the rule of the Seleucid Empire. Although the names of his parents are unknown, Lysimachus came from a family who were noble, honourable and wealthy.
It was either his father or paternal grandfather who was granted Roman citizenship from Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar. His ancestors and family had social ties and connections to the Priesthood in Judea; Hasmonean Dynasty; Herodian Dynasty and Julio-Claudian dynasty in Rome.
Lysimachus was a contemporary to the life of Jesus of Nazareth and the lives of The Apostles of Jesus. He along with his brothers received a thorough education. They were educated in the Egyptian, Jewish, Greek and Roman cultures, particularly in the traditions of Judaism, the study of the Old Testament and in Greek Philosophy. Unfortunately not much is known on Lysimachus.
Sources
- Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002
- Article: Hellenistic Jewish Literature - Chapter 6: The Life in the Mind: Reader’s Digest: Jesus and His Times, The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. Printed by Fourth Printing USA, July 1990
- http://www.livius.org/jo-jz/julius/alexander2.html
- http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1159&letter=A
- http://www.livius.org/am-ao/antisemitism/antisemitism01.html#pogrom2
- http://kassevans.com/Alexander/AlexanderTheAlabarch_RomanAndJew-Summary.html