Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

XLVIII INTRODUCTION.
Alexander ill. Ill thc Extract from the "History of tiie Jews"
j^ws
' ^ by Joseph ben-Gorion the writer's chief object is,
of course, to describe Alexander's dealings with
the Jews. His narrative begins with an account of
the murder of Philip, and a description of the
personal appearance of Alexander. Next comes
the story of Alexander's visit to the sanctuary,
told much as we have it in Josephus; the episode
of his visit to Nablus and of his reception by
Sanballat the Samaritan was of more interest to
the writer than it is to us.' The account of
Alexander's war with Darius is fairly full, and he
Alexander's descrlbes hls visit to the court of Darius dis-
visit to the • ^ ^ ^ t i
court ofguised as an ambassador, an episode which is
°''""^'
omitted in the Ethiopic version of the Pseudo-
Callisthenes. Alexander's victory over Porus and
his journey to the Brahmans in the "City of the
"Blessed" are recorded, and a modified statement
of his questions and of their answers to them are
given. A brief reference to his travels and to
his death by poison concludes Joseph ben-Gorion's
history of Alexander.
An Ethiopic iv. The History of the Death of Alexander the
AiexandTr°s Maccdonlan by an anonymous writer consists of
^''^-
a brief summary of his life and death, and of
twenty of the Sayings declaimed by the sages of
Alexandria over his body. His army consisted of
600,000 horsemen, he founded two hundred cities,
he conquered forty-four kings, and he died by
' See Zonaras (ed. Pinder), Amialium, iv. 15 (vol. i. p. 355).
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