23. The fall of Alexander and the Rise of Ptolemy

Welcome back to The History of Judaism with Yossi Silverman.Alexander the Great has conquered the known world, but his sudden death at age 32 throws his vast empire into immediate chaos. With his dying breath leaving his kingdom "to the strongest," his generals immediately turn on one another. In this episode, we explore the fallout of this botched succession, focusing heavily on the diadochi wars and ptolomy. We trace the violent division of the Hellenistic world into competing empires and look at how Judea, caught right in the middle, once again became a battleground. We also dive into Ptolemy I Soter's conquest of Judea and Gaza, and the complex history of Jewish migration into Ptolemaic Egypt. From the tale of the Jewish soldier Meshullam shooting down a soothsayer's raven to the early days of the Great Library of Alexandria, discover how Jews integrated and thrived under their new Hellenistic rulers. Featured Music Credit: "My first approach as Lyre player, Greek lyre of Apollo" by Yerko Lorca (YK band). Licensed under the Standard YouTube License. Support the Podcast: If you want to show your support and help keep this project going, please consider contributing via our official pages: Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/scoutisrael Patreon: patreon.com/scoutisrael Website: scoutisrael.com