Alexander the Great comes up now and then on PaleoJudaica. He is connected to ancient Jewish tradition in various ways, including mentions by the Book of Daniel and by Josephus, and in traditions in one recension of the Alexander Romance. One rarely hears of his predecessors, apart from his father, Philip. But Alexander descends from a long Macedonian dynasty. Our Alexander is Alexander III — two previous kings in the dynasty were also named Alexander.
For detailed background on the Macedonian dynasty, along with nice photos of its coins, read this article.
For background on Alexander's connections to ancient Jewish tradition, start here and follow the many links.
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