The Expositor's Bible: The Book of DanielFarrar, F. W. (Frederic William)
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Daniel
Farrar, F. W. (Frederic William)
Bible. Daniel -- Commentaries
On his way from Tyre, after capturing Gaza, Alexander decided to
advance to Jerusalem. The news threw Jaddua the high priest into an
agony of alarm. He feared that the king was displeased with the Jews,
and would inflict severe vengeance upon them. He ordered a general
supplication with sacrifices, and was encouraged by God in a dream to
decorate the city, throw open the gates, and go forth in procession
at the head of priests and people to meet the dreaded conqueror. The
procession, so unlike that of any other nation, went forth as soon as
they heard that Alexander was approaching the city. They met the king
on the summit of Scopas, the watch-tower--the height of Mizpah, from
which the first glimpse of the city is obtained. It is the famous
Blanca Guarda of the Crusaders, on the summit of which Richard I.
turned away, and did not deem himself worthy to glance at the city
which he was too weak to rescue from the infidel. The Phœnicians and
Chaldeans in Alexander's army promised themselves that they would
now be permitted to plunder the city and torment the high priest
to death. But it happened far otherwise. For when the king saw the
white-robed procession approaching, headed by Jaddua in his purple
and golden array, and wearing on his head the golden _petalon_, with
its inscription "Holiness to Jehovah," he advanced, saluted the
priest, and adored the Divine Name. The Jews encircled and saluted
him with unanimous greeting, while the King of Syria and his other
followers fancied that he must be distraught. "How is it," asked
Parmenio, "that you, whom all others adore, yourself adore the Jewish
high priest?" "I did not adore the high priest," said Alexander, "but
God, by whose priesthood He has been honoured. When I was at Dium in
Macedonia, meditating on the conquest of Asia, I saw this very man in
this same apparel, who invited me to march boldly and without delay,
and that he would conduct me to the conquest of the Persians." Then
he took Jaddua by the hand, and in the midst of the rejoicing priests
entered Jerusalem, where he sacrificed to God.[205] Jaddua showed him
the prediction about himself in the Book of Daniel, and in extreme
satisfaction he granted to the Jews, at the high priest's request,
all the petitions which they desired of him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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