Philo and female homoeroticism: Philo's use of γύνανδρος and recent work on tribades

This article investigates Philo's use of the rare term γύνανδρος in the context of Hallett's and Brooten's work on ancient male writers' concern over female homoeroticism in the early Principate. In contrast to other classical Greek sources, which seem to use the term as a synonym of ἀνδρόγυνος, Philo appears to use γύνανδρος to refer to women who usurp the (sexual) role preserved for men. Philo, like Paul and Ps.-Phocylides, confirms that the increasing male concern about female homoeroticism in early Judaism occurs not only as late as rabbinic literature but clearly has its roots as far back as the first century CE