Alexander in Daniel’s Vision
And the rough he-goat is the king of Greece; and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. . . . And a mighty king shall stand up. . . . And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken (Daniel 8:21; 11:3–4). [This refers to] Alexander the Macedonian who ruled for twelve years and then died.
Translated by Matthew Goldstone.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
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Engage with this Source
The work titled Seder ‘olam, literally “ordering of the world,” is a history of the world based on midrashic interpretation of the Bible attributed to the second-century CE sage Yosi ben Ḥalafta. This passage interprets verses from the book of Daniel as an allusion to Alexander the Great.
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y. Avodah Zarah 3:1, 42c
The sages say: The only [idolatrous image] that is forbidden is one which has a staff, or a bird, or a sphere in its hand. “A staff”: with which it suppresses the world; “a bird”: My hand has found…
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[Alexander] said to [the sages], “I need to go [conquer] the country of Africa.” They said to him, “You cannot go, because the mountains of darkness block the way.” He said to them, “I must go, and…
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