A Plague Of Mice

A Little Background to the Time of Jesus Though it may sound somewhat surprising, Alexander the Great was a major influence in the culture of Jews in Palestine and the Diaspora. His defeat of the Persian armies under the command of Darius himself at Issus in Asia Minor in November 333 BCE broke the strength of the Persian Empire. Alexander moved down the coast of Syro-Palestine, taking Damascus, Sidon, Tyre, and Jerusalem. Alexander went to Egypt unopposed, where it is claimed he was welcomed as a god. In 332 BCE he founded Alexandria, the city that would become the capital of Egypt during the Hellenistic period. The Persian policy of relative religious freedom was now history. Alexander, who had been tutored by Aristotle for three years, believed that the Greek culture was superior to all others. He founded Greek cities throughout his realm – most of the new cities named after himself – populated by incoming Macedonians and Greeks. This mixture of immigrants and natives in time created a hybridised Greek culture especially among the indigenous urban elites. This Hellenisation of Asia Minor and the Levant became so prevalent that even during the Roman period the Greek culture and language was the dominant one. Alexander’s death in 323 at the young age of 33 led to a major power struggle among his generals. After a long struggle, two rulers had consolidated their rule over major parts of Alexander’s empire. Seleucus I (305–281 BCE) became king over Babylon and western Asia. [...]