When Alexander Did Not Visit Jerusalem in 332-331 BCE

The famous legend of Alexander the Great’s respectful visit to Jerusalem represents the positive relationship between Hellenistic kings and the Jewish people. We can prove that this event never happened. The question becomes how and why the story developed. The tale concludes with the invitation to the Jews to enlist in his army, and their acceptance illustrates the loyalty of Jewish soldiers in Alexander’s armies and those of his successors, the Seleukids and the Ptolemies, for over a century and a half.