A PERSIAN BRIDE FOR ALL-CONQUERING ALEXANDER
Alexander the Great united the Greeks to shatter the
power of persia, and in
11 years the campaigning carved out an empire. He took
a Persian wife, the Princess Roxane, who is depicted
with him on this onyx cameo.
Alexander realized that is domains could not be governed
simply, and sought to bring Greeks and Persians together.
Roxane bore him his only child, also called Alexander,
but both mother and son were murdered in the struggle
for power which followed Alexander’s death at
the age of 32.
He had made no provision for the rule of his empire
when he died, and it
was divided among his commanders |
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Since 539 BC,
the so-called Negro (the Jews) has been ruled over by
Gentile nations (the Europeans Japheth's seed, Gen.
10:2-5). This is the period known as the "Times
of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24). Between the Old
and New Testaments of the Bible there is a 300 year
gap in time. That is the time that the Greeks ruled
over our people (the Jews) in Jerusalem.
Bible prophecy recorded in the book of Daniel “pointed
to a dramatic” change in world events, symbolizing
Greece first as a leopard with wings and four heads,
and then as a he-goat with a conspicuous horn. It foretold
in an unmistakable way that Greece would trample down
the Medo-Persian empire (the 1st Gentile world power).
It also disclosed that the power of a “conspicuous
horn” would be broken and that four others would
come up instead of it (Dan. 7:6, 8:1-8,19-22; 10:20-21,11:3-4).
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Above
map: known earth was then divided into four quarters "toward
the four winds of heaven," Daniel. 8:8).
The Hellenization of the Jews
Before his death, however, Alexander had introduced the Greek
culture and language into all parts of his domain. Sadly,
the Jews fell for the worldliness of the Greeks and their
culture of philosophy, pleasure, sports and the arts were
seductive to many. This period is known as the “hellenization
of the Jews.” To prepare their sons for Greek citizenship,
these would-be Greeks built a gymnasium within sight of the
temple in Jerusalem. Young Hellenized Jews now participated
naked in abominable Greek contact sports including wrestling,
and the Olympic games, which were, dedicated to their chief
god, Zeus. And soon they would be forced to worship Zeus or
die.
The Reign of Antiochus
IV
And out of one of them
came forth a little horn which waxed great ...Yea, he magnified
himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily
sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was
cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice
by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to
the ground; and it practiced and prospered." (Dan 8:8-12)
The worst desecration in the history of the temple at Jerusalem
occurred when, in a vicious attempt to defile and to stamp
out the worship of YHWH, Antiochus IV [Epiphanes - known as
the historical "littlehorn" in Daniel 8:8-12] dedicated
the temple of YHWH to Zeus.
A statute of the god (which had been sculpted to look like
Antiochus himselj) was set up. He directed them to follow
customs strange to the land...to profane Sabbaths and feasts
and to defile the sanctuary by the sacrifice of pigs on the
altar of burnt offering (for the Greeks, the pig was a common
sacrificial animal as can be seen here on this 6th century
B. C. howl). But to the Jews the offering of an "unclean"
animal was an outrage.
A man could neither keep the Sabbath nor so much as confess
himself to be a Jew... They were commanded to leave their
sons uncircumcised and next, on pain of death, the entire
population was summoned to eat pork. Most chose to live, and
ate a morsel. But many in Israel stood firm... They chose
to die rather than to be defiled by unclean food or to profane
the holy covenant; and they did die" (Dan. 8:9-14).
(Great People of the Bible, Reader's
Digest, 1974, pp. 288-289) .
But a family of heroes (the Maccabees) arose to save
Israel who resisted and successfully defeated the Greeks.
They re-dedicated the temple to YHWH (the Feast of the Dedication
or Hanukkah), and their descendants ruled Israel as priest-kings
until the arrival of the cruel and barbaric Romans.
(End)
Next Page: Roman Empire: Legion devours
Judah
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| The coin
of Antiochus IV [Epiphanes] |
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| The ancient Greeks
did not regard the pig as unclean. It was, in fact, the preferred
animal for making sacrifices at rituals of purification. |
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| Chapter
Outline |
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