Hellenistic Jewish polemic: Wisdom 13–14, Aristeas, and Philo

The Wisdom of Solomon (non-canonical, Hellenistic Jewish) attacks idolatry in terms close to Rom 1:18–32. All who were ignorant of God were μάταιοι … φύσει (mataioi … physei, "futile by nature"), unable to know "him who is" from the good things seen (Wis 13:1). From the greatness and beauty of created things their Maker is seen by analogy (13:5), so idolaters are not to be excused (13:8). The devising of idols was "the beginning of fornication" (14:12), leading to murder, theft, deceit, perjury, γενέσεως ἐναλλαγή (geneseōs enallagē, a debated phrase, perhaps "interchange of sex roles"), adultery, and debauchery (14:22–26); idolatry is the beginning, cause, and end of every evil (14:27).

The Letter of Aristeas (non-canonical) insists that God is one, ridicules images and deified men, and scorns Egyptians who worship beasts, creeping things, and cattle (Let. Aris. 132–138). Philo likewise condemns Egypt for honoring bulls, rams, lions, crocodiles, and asps (Decal. 76–80).

Says Paul's sequence is the same. God's power and divine nature are clearly seen in what he has made, so people are ἀναπολογήτους (anapologētous, "without excuse," Rom 1:20). They exchanged God's glory for images (1:23), and God gave them over to impurity and every kind of wickedness (1:24–31).

Implies Paul uses a pattern Jewish readers would applaud, then turns it: the one who judges does the same things (2:1); Romans 2–3 grants no exemption.

Uncertain Whether Paul has Wisdom's exemption of Israel in view (Wis 15:2), or knew Wisdom itself rather than a shared tradition, cannot be shown.