Flavius Josephus and Philo Judaeus

[Sefardic Panther]

Has anyone here read their Torah commentaries? Do you think they are valid or are they too hellenistic?

Here are a couple of things from their writings which can also be found in Kabbalisitc books –

“and these branches (of the Menorah) carried seven lamps, one by one, in imitation of the number of the planets.” – http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/ant-3.htm
I think the 7 planets refers to 7 higher dimensions since there are 9 planets and the sun is not one of them.

“There are seven types of motion -- up/down, right/left, forward/back, rotary” –
 http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/courses/999/PHILONUM.HTM