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300 VISIONS AND PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH

sworn to Darius, and Alexander in consequence threatened to inflict a severe chastisement on Jerusalem as soon as he had captured Tyre, and reduced the Philistine strongholds.

" Now Alexander, when he had taken Gaza, made haste to go up to Jerusalem ; and Jaddua the high priest, when he heard that, was in an agony, and under terror, as not knowing how he should meet the Macedonians, since the king was displeased at his foregoing disobedience.

" He therefore ordained that the people should make supplications, and should join with him in making sacri fices to God, whom he besought to protect that nation, and to deliver them from the perils that were coming upon them ; whereupon God warned him in a dream, which came upon him after he had offered sacrifice, that he should take courage, and adorn the city, and open the gates ; that the rest should appear in white garments, but that he and the priests should meet the king in the habits proper to their order, without the dread of any ill consequences, which the providence of God would prevent. Upon which, when he rose from his sleep, he greatly rejoiced ; and declared to all the warning he had received from God. According to which dream he acted entirely, and so waited for the coming of the king.

" And when he understood that he was not far from the city, he went out in procession with the priests and the multitude of the citizens. The procession was venerable, and the manner of it different from that of other nations. It reached to a place called Sapha, which name, translated into Greek, signifies a prospect ; for you have thence a prospect both of Jerusalem and of the Temple. And when the Phoenicians and the Chaldeans that followed him thought they should have liberty to plunder the city and torment the high priest to death which the king s dis pleasure fairly promised them the very reverse of it happened ; for Alexander, when he saw the multitude at a distance in white garments, while the priests stood clothed in fine linen, $nd the high priest in purple and scarlet \

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