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332 BC ALEXANDER THE GREAT CONQUERS PALESTINE
Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), king of Macedonia, was one of history's greatest military leaders. He expanded the Greek Empire as far east as India and was responsible for the Hellenization of the ancient world. In his pursuit of the Persian army led by Darius (d. 330 BC), Alexander and his army of more than thirty thousand soldiers reached the land of Palestine by 332 BC. As Alexander marched down the Mediterranean coast en route to Egypt, most of the cities he encountered gave way to his army. The island city of Tyre, however, refused to surrender. As a result, the Greek army besieged the city for seven months. Eventually Tyre collapsed, and by November 332, Alexander controlled all of Palestine and had reached Egypt. Alexander's conquest of Palestine marked the beginning of the Greek, and later the Roman, occupation that would last into New Testament times.
HOW GREAT WAS ALEXANDER? June 10, 323 BC
Some people can never get enough of themselves.
Alexander III of Macedon, whom we know as Alexander the Great, was born in 356 BC. He was such an important figure in world history that chapters 2, 7, 8, and 11 of Daniel all contain prophecies of him and his kingdom. Daniel 11:3-4 prophesies this of Alexander: "Then a mighty king will rise to power who will rule a vast kingdom and accomplish everything he sets out to do. But at the height of his power, his kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four parts. It will not be ruled by the king's descendants, nor will the kingdom hold the authority it once had. For his empire will be uprooted and given to others."
Even as a boy, Alexander was fearless. He tamed Bucephalus, a beautiful, spirited horse that no one else had dared to touch. Bucephalus later carried his master all the way to India.
Tutored by Aristotle, Alexander became co-regent of Macedon at the age of sixteen, along with his father, King Philip of Macedon. When Alexander was twenty, his father died and he became king. He likewise became the leader of the League of Corinth, founded by his father, uniting all of Greece under his authority.
Alexander immediately went on the offensive, conquering Asia Minor, and then the Mediterranean coast all the way to Egypt. There he founded the city of Alexandria, which soon became the greatest city in the Mediterranean. He named it after himself, as he did more than sixty other cities.
Alexander's ambitions next led him east. His greatest career accomplishment was when he defeated the Persians and controlled the splendid capitals of its empire. He reached India on his faithful old horse, Bucephalus, in 327 BC. At that point, his weary soldiers refused to go farther, so Alexander turned back to the west. There he shocked his Greek compatriots by adopting the style of the Persian court, including a harem.
Impressed with his own success, Alexander thought it appropriate that his Greek subjects worship him as a god. However, he didn't have much time to enjoy this worship. Alexander died in Babylon on June 10, 323 BC, at the young age of thirty-three. In thirteen years he had conquered most of the known world, and his military triumphs spread a Greek influence over the Near East that would last for a thousand years. It is because of Alexander the Great that the New Testament was written in Greek.
But after Alexander's death, his Greek generals broke up the mighty kingdom he had amassed and divided it into four parts: Macedon and Greece under Antipater, and later Antigonus and Cassander; Thrace and Asia Minor under Lysimachus; Syria under Seleucus; and Egypt and Palestine under Ptolemy.
God had no tolerance for a world emperor who desired to be worshiped.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
331 BC ALEXANDER THE GREAT DEFEATS DARIUS AT GAUGAMELA
Having successfully made his way along the Mediterranean coast and into Egypt, Alexander (356-323 BC) set his sights on Mesopotamia, seeking to conquer Darius (d. 330 BC) and the Persians once and for all. After July 331 BC, Alexander led his army down the Tigris River in order to enter Babylon. On October 1, 331 BC, he met Darius and the Persian army on the plain of Gaugamela in northern Mesopotamia near Nineveh. Here the decisive battle in the conquest of Greece over Persia was fought, with the Greeks dismantling the Persian army. Darius escaped, but the Persian Empire had fallen, and all of Babylon was under the rule of Alexander the Great.
323 BC ALEXANDER THE GREAT DIES
Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) spent his final years consolidating the vast empire he had built. The enormity of his accomplishments led to a heightened sense of his own greatness. By 324 BC, he seemed to have become convinced of his own divinity, not at all uncommon amidst the mythological mind-set of ancient Greece. Following a lengthy banquet in early June 323 BC, Alexander came down with a fatal illness, and on June 13 he died. His body was buried in a gold coffin in Alexandria. In the twelve short years of his reign, Alexander's remarkable achievements spread a Greek influence over the near East that would last for a thousand years. Following his death, his kingdom was divided into four parts by his generals.
323 BC PTOLEMY I SOTER CONTROLS PALESTINE
A close companion of Alexander the Great, Ptolemy I Soter (Savior) (r. 323-285 BC) was a great political and military leader. Following Alexander's unexpected death in 323 BC, Ptolemy gained control of Egypt and Palestine. By 304 BC, Ptolemy assumed the title of king of Egypt and established the Ptolemaic dynasty, which would last for three hundred years. Perhaps the greatest of Ptolemy's accomplishments was establishing Alexandria in Egypt as one of the top intellectual centers of the world.
319 BC PTOLEMY I SOTER CONQUERS JERUSALEM
Ptolemy I Soter (r. 323-285 BC) took control of Egypt in 323 BC. He consolidated his position by hijacking the body of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) en route to its burial in Macedonia and brought it to Egypt. In 319 BC, he captured Jerusalem on a Sabbath and took many Jews to Egypt as prisoners of war. These prisoners formed the nucleus of what would become the Jewish population of Alexandria, Egypt.
311 BC SELEUCUS CONQUERS BABYLON AND BEGINS THE SELEUCID DYNASTY
Seleucus I Nicator (358-281 BC), one of Alexander the Great's generals, rose to power in Babylon following Alexander's death in 323 BC. Soon after, Seleucus fled to Egypt when Antigonus I (382-301 BC) forced him to leave the Mesopotamia region. Joining forces with Ptolemy I, the two leaders weakened Antigonus' stronghold, enabling Seleucus to return to Babylon by 311 BC. Regaining control over Babylon, Seleucus established the Seleucid dynasty over the eastern provinces of the former Persian Empire, assuming the title of king in 305 BC. In 301 BC, following the defeat of Antigonus, Seleucus gained control of northern Syria and the following year built the capital city of Antioch. At this time conflicts between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties arose over the region of Palestine. The Seleucid dynasty would prove to have a major influence on Jewish history.
250 BC SCRIPTURES ARE TRANSLATED INTO GREEK SEPTUAGINT
According to legend, seventy-two men, six from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, were commissioned to go from Jerusalem to Alexandria to translate the Hebrew and Aramaic Scriptures into the Greek language. There are historical records indicating that Ptolemy II (285-246 BC) requested that the high priest send seventy-two men to Alexandria to work on a Greek translation of the Pentateuch. Their work was entitled the Septuagint (abbreviated LXX), from the Latin word for seventy. Most of the Septuagint, however, seems to be the work of various individuals and groups at different times. The LXX became the official Scriptures for Greek-speaking Jews scattered around the Western Mediterranean. In fact, the New Testament authors writing to Greek-speaking communities, typically quoted from the LXX, and its prevalent usage continued throughout the early church era. It is still the official Old Testament of the Greek Orthodox Church.
218 BC ANTIOCHUS III TEMPORARILY GAINS CONTROL OF PALESTINE
In the late 220s BC, Antiochus III (r. 223-187 BC) of the Seleucid dynasty of Syria launched a series of campaigns to wrest Palestine from the control of Ptolemaic Egypt. His first attempt in 222 BC proved to be a failure; however, by 218 BC he had gained control of Palestine. Endeavoring to march down into Egypt to further weaken the Ptolemaic Empire, Antiochus met defeat the following year at Raphia, near the Egyptian border. As a result, the Egyptians were able to reclaim Palestine.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), king of Macedonia, was one of history's greatest military leaders. He expanded the Greek Empire as far east as India and was responsible for the Hellenization of the ancient world. In his pursuit of the Persian army led by Darius (d. 330 BC), Alexander and his army of more than thirty thousand soldiers reached the land of Palestine by 332 BC. As Alexander marched down the Mediterranean coast en route to Egypt, most of the cities he encountered gave way to his army. The island city of Tyre, however, refused to surrender. As a result, the Greek army besieged the city for seven months. Eventually Tyre collapsed, and by November 332, Alexander controlled all of Palestine and had reached Egypt. Alexander's conquest of Palestine marked the beginning of the Greek, and later the Roman, occupation that would last into New Testament times.
HOW GREAT WAS ALEXANDER? June 10, 323 BC
Some people can never get enough of themselves.
Alexander III of Macedon, whom we know as Alexander the Great, was born in 356 BC. He was such an important figure in world history that chapters 2, 7, 8, and 11 of Daniel all contain prophecies of him and his kingdom. Daniel 11:3-4 prophesies this of Alexander: "Then a mighty king will rise to power who will rule a vast kingdom and accomplish everything he sets out to do. But at the height of his power, his kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four parts. It will not be ruled by the king's descendants, nor will the kingdom hold the authority it once had. For his empire will be uprooted and given to others."
Even as a boy, Alexander was fearless. He tamed Bucephalus, a beautiful, spirited horse that no one else had dared to touch. Bucephalus later carried his master all the way to India.
Tutored by Aristotle, Alexander became co-regent of Macedon at the age of sixteen, along with his father, King Philip of Macedon. When Alexander was twenty, his father died and he became king. He likewise became the leader of the League of Corinth, founded by his father, uniting all of Greece under his authority.
Alexander immediately went on the offensive, conquering Asia Minor, and then the Mediterranean coast all the way to Egypt. There he founded the city of Alexandria, which soon became the greatest city in the Mediterranean. He named it after himself, as he did more than sixty other cities.
Alexander's ambitions next led him east. His greatest career accomplishment was when he defeated the Persians and controlled the splendid capitals of its empire. He reached India on his faithful old horse, Bucephalus, in 327 BC. At that point, his weary soldiers refused to go farther, so Alexander turned back to the west. There he shocked his Greek compatriots by adopting the style of the Persian court, including a harem.
Impressed with his own success, Alexander thought it appropriate that his Greek subjects worship him as a god. However, he didn't have much time to enjoy this worship. Alexander died in Babylon on June 10, 323 BC, at the young age of thirty-three. In thirteen years he had conquered most of the known world, and his military triumphs spread a Greek influence over the Near East that would last for a thousand years. It is because of Alexander the Great that the New Testament was written in Greek.
But after Alexander's death, his Greek generals broke up the mighty kingdom he had amassed and divided it into four parts: Macedon and Greece under Antipater, and later Antigonus and Cassander; Thrace and Asia Minor under Lysimachus; Syria under Seleucus; and Egypt and Palestine under Ptolemy.
God had no tolerance for a world emperor who desired to be worshiped.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
331 BC ALEXANDER THE GREAT DEFEATS DARIUS AT GAUGAMELA
Having successfully made his way along the Mediterranean coast and into Egypt, Alexander (356-323 BC) set his sights on Mesopotamia, seeking to conquer Darius (d. 330 BC) and the Persians once and for all. After July 331 BC, Alexander led his army down the Tigris River in order to enter Babylon. On October 1, 331 BC, he met Darius and the Persian army on the plain of Gaugamela in northern Mesopotamia near Nineveh. Here the decisive battle in the conquest of Greece over Persia was fought, with the Greeks dismantling the Persian army. Darius escaped, but the Persian Empire had fallen, and all of Babylon was under the rule of Alexander the Great.
323 BC ALEXANDER THE GREAT DIES
Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) spent his final years consolidating the vast empire he had built. The enormity of his accomplishments led to a heightened sense of his own greatness. By 324 BC, he seemed to have become convinced of his own divinity, not at all uncommon amidst the mythological mind-set of ancient Greece. Following a lengthy banquet in early June 323 BC, Alexander came down with a fatal illness, and on June 13 he died. His body was buried in a gold coffin in Alexandria. In the twelve short years of his reign, Alexander's remarkable achievements spread a Greek influence over the near East that would last for a thousand years. Following his death, his kingdom was divided into four parts by his generals.
323 BC PTOLEMY I SOTER CONTROLS PALESTINE
A close companion of Alexander the Great, Ptolemy I Soter (Savior) (r. 323-285 BC) was a great political and military leader. Following Alexander's unexpected death in 323 BC, Ptolemy gained control of Egypt and Palestine. By 304 BC, Ptolemy assumed the title of king of Egypt and established the Ptolemaic dynasty, which would last for three hundred years. Perhaps the greatest of Ptolemy's accomplishments was establishing Alexandria in Egypt as one of the top intellectual centers of the world.
319 BC PTOLEMY I SOTER CONQUERS JERUSALEM
Ptolemy I Soter (r. 323-285 BC) took control of Egypt in 323 BC. He consolidated his position by hijacking the body of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) en route to its burial in Macedonia and brought it to Egypt. In 319 BC, he captured Jerusalem on a Sabbath and took many Jews to Egypt as prisoners of war. These prisoners formed the nucleus of what would become the Jewish population of Alexandria, Egypt.
311 BC SELEUCUS CONQUERS BABYLON AND BEGINS THE SELEUCID DYNASTY
Seleucus I Nicator (358-281 BC), one of Alexander the Great's generals, rose to power in Babylon following Alexander's death in 323 BC. Soon after, Seleucus fled to Egypt when Antigonus I (382-301 BC) forced him to leave the Mesopotamia region. Joining forces with Ptolemy I, the two leaders weakened Antigonus' stronghold, enabling Seleucus to return to Babylon by 311 BC. Regaining control over Babylon, Seleucus established the Seleucid dynasty over the eastern provinces of the former Persian Empire, assuming the title of king in 305 BC. In 301 BC, following the defeat of Antigonus, Seleucus gained control of northern Syria and the following year built the capital city of Antioch. At this time conflicts between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties arose over the region of Palestine. The Seleucid dynasty would prove to have a major influence on Jewish history.
250 BC SCRIPTURES ARE TRANSLATED INTO GREEK SEPTUAGINT
According to legend, seventy-two men, six from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, were commissioned to go from Jerusalem to Alexandria to translate the Hebrew and Aramaic Scriptures into the Greek language. There are historical records indicating that Ptolemy II (285-246 BC) requested that the high priest send seventy-two men to Alexandria to work on a Greek translation of the Pentateuch. Their work was entitled the Septuagint (abbreviated LXX), from the Latin word for seventy. Most of the Septuagint, however, seems to be the work of various individuals and groups at different times. The LXX became the official Scriptures for Greek-speaking Jews scattered around the Western Mediterranean. In fact, the New Testament authors writing to Greek-speaking communities, typically quoted from the LXX, and its prevalent usage continued throughout the early church era. It is still the official Old Testament of the Greek Orthodox Church.
218 BC ANTIOCHUS III TEMPORARILY GAINS CONTROL OF PALESTINE
In the late 220s BC, Antiochus III (r. 223-187 BC) of the Seleucid dynasty of Syria launched a series of campaigns to wrest Palestine from the control of Ptolemaic Egypt. His first attempt in 222 BC proved to be a failure; however, by 218 BC he had gained control of Palestine. Endeavoring to march down into Egypt to further weaken the Ptolemaic Empire, Antiochus met defeat the following year at Raphia, near the Egyptian border. As a result, the Egyptians were able to reclaim Palestine.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The