Written by Philo of Alexandria, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, this treatise offers the first historical description of the Therapeutæ, a contemplative community established near Lake Mariotis in Egypt.

Philo describes them as men and women living in celibacy, prayer, study, and silence, devoting their lives to healing and the pursuit of divine wisdom.

They lived apart from society, practicing rituals of purification, sacred meals, and mystical interpretation of scripture — all elements later found among the Essenes and early Christian monastics.
Philo presents them as living embodiments of Sophia and the Logos — the merging of divine wisdom (Feminine) and divine word (Masculine). Their lifestyle reflects the Egyptian initiatory model of Ma’at (balance, truth, cosmic order), translated into the language of Judaism and, later, Christianity.