THE PRINCE OF PEACE 301
clothing with his mitre on his head having the golden plate whereon the name of God was engraved, he approached by himself, and adored that name, and first saluted the high priest The Jews also did altogether, with one voice, salute Alexander and encompass him about ; whereupon the kings of Syria and the rest were surprised at what Alex- 5r ander had done, and supposed him disordered in his mind. However, Parmenio alone went up to him and asked him how it came to pass that, when all others adored him, he should adore the high priest of the Jews ? To whom he replied, I did not adore him, but that God who hath honoured him with his high priesthood ; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit, when I was at Dios in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with myself how I might obtain the dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly to pass over the sea thither, for that he would conduct my army, and would give me the dominion over the Persians ; whence it is, that having seen no other in that habit, and now seeing this person in it, and remembering that vision, and the exhortation which I had in my dream, I believe that I bring this army under Divine conduct, and shall therewith conquer Darius and destroy the power of the Persians, and that all things will succeed according to what is in my own mind.
" And when he had said this to Parmenio, and had given the high priest his right hand, the priests ran along by him and he came into the city ; and when he went up to the Temple, he offered sacrifice to God according to the high priest s direction, and magnificently treated both the high priest and the priests. And when the Book of Daniel was showed him wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that himself was the person intended ; and as he was then glad, he dismissed the multitude for the present, but the next day he called them to him and bade them ask what favours they pleased of him ; whereupon the high priest desired that they might enjoy the laws
