Clement
of Alexandria was the teacher of Origen, lived about 150 to
215. He was the leader of
the catechetical school at Alexandria. Alexandria had the largest Jewish
population outside of the holy land after Babylon. It is from Alexandria at the
end of the second century that the Epistle to the Hebrews was first explained as
having come from Paul to churches who were not automatically aware of the
background of the writing. It is possible that the letter was written to the
Jewish community at Alexandria. That is more likely than that it was addressed
and delivered first to the Jewish community at Jerusalem who were still led by
James the Lord's brother until just before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70
A.D. Clement left a work called Hupotyposes which is quoted at length by
Eusebius to whom we are indebted for the portions we can read since the original
is lost. He has interesting remarks about the Epistle to the Hebrews which are
from the second century not much more than 100 years after the letter was
written in the mid 60's.
.jpeg)