Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

74
THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
that He would prosper his way. And when he
had finished his prayer, he [went and] sat down
outside the Sanctuary and the chiefs and generals
of his army stood by his side while he was mar-
velling at the beauty of the Sanctuary; now it was
about the time of sunrise. And his friends drew
nigh and said unto him, "O victorious king, live
"for ever! What dost thou desire to do unto these
"men.^ For they have been wicked and hypo-
"critical to every king and they have never been
"in subjection. When they saw thine honour and
"the majesty of thy royal state and the [p. 41]
"might of thy army [they were afraid]; behold, thou
"thyself didst hear the answer, which they sent
"back to thy letter, and how they treated thine
"authority with contempt". And lo, now that thou
"hast come to these evil-doers, thou payest honour
"to them, and dost descend from thy horse to the
"ground, and dost go on foot with them to pray
"in their sanctuary. These men are few in number,
"and they are shedders^ of blood and slayers of
' In the MS. ffl4»ihA^!r altered into CD'f';J-AjP> :
' According to Josephus {Antiquities XI. 8. 3) when Alex-
ander had captured Sidon and was besieging Tyre, he sent
an epistle to the Jewish high priest, ordering him to send him
some auxiliaries, and to supply his army with provisions, and
to send to him the presents which he had formerly sent to
Darius. But the high priest answered the messengers that he
had given his oath to Darius not to bear arms against him,
and that he would not transgress this while Darius was in
the land of the living. The high priest at the time was
called Jaddua. ^ Read h^fll.^i : J^JP :