Alan Segal starts by observing that incarnation is not an easy category to fit into native Jewish categories for talking about God. Casting around for adequate precedents, he first examines Plato's conceptions of matter and spirit (along with mortality and immortality). Philo was to use Platonic thought and vocabulary significantly, although he did not breach the line between spiritual and material objects. Philo looked askance at incarnation. Segal then recalls various angelic theophanies and mediation scenes, in which precedents for the Christian conception of incarnation seem better...

Alan Segal starts by observing that incarnation is not an easy category to fit into native Jewish categories for talking about God. Casting around for adequate precedents, he first examines Plato's conceptions of matter and spirit (along with mortality and immortality). Philo was to use Platonic thought and vocabulary significantly, although he did not breach the line between spiritual and material objects. Philo looked askance at incarnation. Segal then recalls various angelic theophanies and mediation scenes, in which precedents for the Christian conception of incarnation seem better grounded in Jewish literature.