But did Alexander the Great visit Jerusalem, or didn’t he? That is the single most frequently asked question when people hear the title of my new book, Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth & History. It is encouraging in our day and age that people still care about facts. The truth of the matter is, however, that there is really no way to tell. After more than 20 years of studying the evidence, my answer to this basic question is a definite maybe.That's a good answer.
Regarding the book:
Either way, a much more important question for me — indeed, it stands at the heart of my book — is not what happened when Alexander passed through the Levant, but rather what it was that generations of Judean storytellers intended when they made up stories about Alexander in Jerusalem that were clearly fictional. These fictions are themselves historical facts, and they each contain their storyteller’s assumptions and agenda. Methodologically, my point of attack lies with the alternative facts presented by each story. By considering these fictive factoids together with each story’s tendencies and attitudes, I attempt to offer a historical context for each of the four stories studied in the book.I noted the publication of the book here. And for many PaleoJudaica posts on Alexander the Great and his connection with ancient Jewish traditions, follow the links from there.
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