Editing Ambrose (section)

=== Attitude towards Jews ===
Ambrose is recorded on occasions as taking a hostile attitude towards Jews,{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=23}} for example in 388, when the Emperor [[Theodosius I]] was informed that a crowd of Christians had retaliated against the local Jewish community by destroying the [[synagogue]] at Callinicum on the [[Euphrates]].{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=27}} The synagogue most probably existed within the fortified town to serve the soldiers stationed there, and Theodosius ordered that the offenders be punished and that the synagogue be rebuilt at the expense of the bishop.{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=41}} Ambrose wrote to the emperor arguing against this, basing his argument on two assertions: first, if the bishop obeyed the order, it would be a betrayal of his faith,{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=28}} and second, if the bishop instead refused to obey the order, he would become a martyr and create a scandal embarrassing the emperor.{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=28}} Ambrose, referring to a prior incident where [[Magnus Maximus]] issued an edict censuring Christians in Rome for burning down a Jewish synagogue, warned Theodosius that the people, in turn, exclaimed "the emperor has become a Jew", implying that Theodosius would receive the same lack of support from the people.{{sfn|Nirenberg|2013|pp=117–118}} Theodosius rescinded the order concerning the bishop.{{sfn|MacCulloch|2010|p=300}}{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=28}}

That was not enough for Ambrose, however, and when Theodosius next visited Milan Ambrose confronted him directly in an effort to get him to drop the entire case. McLynn argues that Ambrose failed to win the emperor's sympathy and was mostly excluded from his counsels thereafter.{{sfn|McLynn|1994|pp= 308–9}}{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=29}} The Callinicum affair was not an isolated incident. Generally speaking, however, while McLynn says it makes Ambrose look like a bully and a bigot to modern eyes, scholars also agree that Ambrose's attitudes toward the Jews cannot be fairly summarized in one sentence, as not all of Ambrose's attitudes toward Jews were negative.{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=29}}

For example, Ambrose makes extensive and appreciative use of the works of a Jew, [[Philo of Alexandria]], in his own writings, treating Philo as one of the "faithful interpreters of the Scriptures".{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=23, 49}} Philo was an educated man of some standing and a prolific writer during the era of [[Second Temple Judaism]]. Forty–three of his treatises have been preserved, and these by Christians, rather than Jews.{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=23}} Philo became foundational in forming the Christian literary view on the six days of creation through Basil's ''[[Hexaemeron]]''. [[Eusebius]], the [[Cappadocian Fathers]], and [[Didymus the Blind]] appropriated material from Philo as well, but none did so more than Ambrose. As a result of these extensive references, Philo was accepted into the Christian tradition as an honorary Church Father. "In fact, one Byzantine catena even refers to him as 'Bishop Philo'. This high regard for Philo even led to a number of legends of his conversion to Christianity, although this assertion stands on very dubious evidence".{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=26}} Ambrose also used [[Josephus]], Maccabees, and other Jewish sources for his writings. He praises some individual Jews.{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=30}} Ambrose tended to write negatively of all non-Nicenes as if they were all in one category. This served a rhetorical purpose in his writing and should be considered accordingly.{{sfn|Elliott|2019|p=31}}