A special and unique relationship does not have to be between two groups of people that share everything in common but can be between two completely different groups of people. Alexander the Great brought this type of unity and bond between the Greeks and Jews because of his campaign to Persia. His campaign did not only bring another vast group of people under his reign, but also allowed for one of the most unique relationships to be formed. In the end however, cultural differences and Hellenistic views separated the two.
Alexander traveled to Tyre and Egypt during his visit to Persia. Once he arrived, he met the High Priest in front of the city and bowed before him. When asked by his general, Parmerio, why he bowed, Alexander replied, "I did not bow before him, but before that God who has honored him with the high Priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very apparel"(Loflin, 2016). He interpreted his dream as something meaningful and therefore, spared the city of Jerusalem from destruction. Because of Alexander's kind heart and dream, the people
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The Jews held the Greeks high because of their deep understandings of literature, wisdom, and science. The Jews also viewed the Greek language as the most beautiful in the world. They loved the Greek language so much, that the Rabbis wanted the Torah scroll to be written in Greek. The relationship between the two was not one sided however; the Greeks felt the same way towards the Jews. They were intrigued and drawn towards the Jews' monotheistic beliefs in a loving and infinite God. The Greeks were so amazed, that their king, Ptolemy ll, forced about seventy Rabbis to translate the Hebrew Bible into Greek. The translation from Hebrew to Greek was the first translation of the Bible into a different language. The Greek translation was known as the