seemed surprised and pleased,
and advanced toward him with an air of the profoundest deference and
respect. He seemed to pay him almost religious homage and adoration.
Every one was astonished. Parmenio asked him for an explanation.
Alexander made the following extraordinary statement:

"When I was in Macedon, before setting out on this expedition, while I
was revolving the subject in my mind, musing day after day on the
means of conquering Asia, one night I had a remarkable dream. In my
dream this very priest appeared before me, dressed just as he is now.
He exhorted me to banish every fear, to cross the Hellespont boldly,
and to push forward into the heart of Asia. He said that God would
march at the head of my army, and give me the victory over all the
Persians. I recognize this priest as the same person that appeared to
me then. He has the same countenance, the same dress, the same
stature, the same air. It is through his encouragement and aid that I
am here, and I am ready to worship and adore the God whose service he
administers."

Alexander joined the high priest in the procession, and they returned
to Jerusalem together. There Alexander united with them and with the
Jews of the city in the celebration of religious rites, by offering
sacrifices and oblations in the Jewish manner. The writings which are
now printed together in our Bibles, as the Old Testament, were, in
those days, written separately on parchment rolls, and kept in the
temple. The priests produced from the rolls the one containing the
prophecies of Daniel, and they read and interpreted some of these
prophecies to Alexander, which they considered to have reference to
him, though written many hundred years before. Alexander was, as
Josephus relates, very much pleased at the sight of these ancient
predictions, and the interpretation put upon them by the priests. He
assured the Jews that they should be protected in the exercise of all
their rights, and especially in their religious worship, and he also
promised them that he would take their brethren who resided in Media
and Babylon under his special charge when he should come into
possession of those places. These Jews of Media and Babylon were the
descendants of captives which had been carried away from their native
land in former wars.

Such is the story which Josephus relates. The Greek historians, on the
other hand, make no mention of this visit to Jerusalem; and some
persons think that it was