Marcus Julius Alexander
Encyclopedia
Marcus Julius Alexander was a distinguished and wealthy Alexandria
n Jewish Merchant.
, Egypt
. He was either born in the late reign of Emperor Augustus
27 BC-14 or the reign of the Emperor Tiberius
14–37. Marcus was born as the second son to Alexander the Alabarch
, a wealthy Jewish Pro-Roman aristocrat and his brother was Tiberius Julius Alexander
. His paternal uncles was the Jewish Historian, Philosopher Philo
and Lysimachus
.
He came from an aristocratic family who lived in Alexandria for generations. His ancestors and family were contemporaries to the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty
and the rule of the Seleucid Empire
. Marcus came from a family who were noble, honourable and wealthy. It was either his paternal grandfather or paternal great grandfather who was granted Roman citizenship
from Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar
. His ancestors and family had social ties and connections to the Priesthood in Judea
; Hasmonean
Dynasty; Herodian Dynasty
and Julio-Claudian dynasty
in Rome
.
Marcus along with his family were contemporaries to the life of Jesus
of Nazareth and the lives of The Apostles
of Jesus. Marcus along with his brother received a thorough education. They were educated in the Egypt
ian, Jewish, Greek
and Roman
cultures, particularly in the traditions of Judaism
, the study of the Old Testament
and in Greek Philosophy.
and Berenice Troglodytica, ports located in the Red Sea
between 37-44. He had agent called Hermias, who represented him at an unnamed port.
Marcus’ father and Herodian King Agrippa I
were long time friends. Agrippa I as an elegant way to give something back to Alexander the Alabarch, who supported Agrippa I in the past, arranged for his daughter princess Berenice to marry Marcus. In 41, Marcus married Berenice as her first husband. This marriage shows that there were good relations between Marcus’ family and the Herodian Dynasty.
Unfortunately, this marriage was short lived as Marcus died before August 44. Marcus had no children with Berenice. Berenice’s father later arranged for her to marry her paternal uncle Herod of Chalcis
in 44.
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
n Jewish Merchant.
Ancestry and Family
Marcus was born and raised in AlexandriaAlexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He was either born in the late reign of Emperor Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
27 BC-14 or the reign of the Emperor Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
14–37. Marcus was born as the second son to Alexander the Alabarch
Alexander the Alabarch
Alexander the Alabarch, full name Tiberius Julius Alexander Major was an Alexandrian Jewish aristocrat who was one of the pro-Roman leaders of the Alexandrian Jewish community and one of the brothers of the exegete and philosopher Philo.-Ancestry and family:Alexander was born and raised in...
, a wealthy Jewish Pro-Roman aristocrat and his brother was Tiberius Julius Alexander
Tiberius Julius Alexander
Tiberius Julius Alexander was an equestrian governor and general in the Roman Empire. Born into a wealthy Jewish family of Alexandria but abandoning or neglecting the Jewish religion, he rose to become procurator of Judea under Claudius...
. His paternal uncles was the Jewish Historian, Philosopher Philo
Philo
Philo , known also as Philo of Alexandria , Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, Yedidia, "Philon", and Philo the Jew, was a Hellenistic Jewish Biblical philosopher born in Alexandria....
and Lysimachus
Lysimachus (brother of Philo)
Lysimachus or possibly known as Julius Lysimachus, was an Alexandrian Jew who lived in the Roman Empire. Lysimachus was a brother of the Jewish Philosopher, Historian Philo and the Pro-Roman Aristocrat Alexander the Alabarch. Lysimachus is mentioned in Philo’s On Animals.Lysimachus was born and...
.
He came from an aristocratic family who lived in Alexandria for generations. His ancestors and family were contemporaries to the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty
Ptolemaic dynasty
The Ptolemaic dynasty, was a Macedonian Greek royal family which ruled the Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 BC to 30 BC...
and the rule of the Seleucid Empire
Seleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...
. Marcus came from a family who were noble, honourable and wealthy. It was either his paternal grandfather or paternal great grandfather who was granted Roman citizenship
Roman citizenship
Citizenship in ancient Rome was a privileged political and legal status afforded to certain free-born individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance....
from Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
. His ancestors and family had social ties and connections to the Priesthood in Judea
Judea
Judea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
; Hasmonean
Hasmonean
The Hasmonean dynasty , was the ruling dynasty of Judea and surrounding regions during classical antiquity. Between c. 140 and c. 116 BCE, the dynasty ruled semi-autonomously from the Seleucids in the region of Judea...
Dynasty; Herodian Dynasty
Herodian Dynasty
The Herodian Dynasty was a Jewish dynasty of Idumean descent, client Kings of Roman Judaea Province between 37 BCE and 92 CE.- Origin :During the time of the Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus 134-104 BCE, Israel conquered Edom and forced the Edomites to convert to Judaism.The Edomites were integrated...
and Julio-Claudian dynasty
Julio-Claudian Dynasty
The Julio-Claudian dynasty normally refers to the first five Roman Emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula , Claudius, and Nero, or the family to which they belonged; they ruled the Roman Empire from its formation, in the second half of the 1st century BC, until AD 68, when the last of the line,...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Marcus along with his family were contemporaries to the life of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
of Nazareth and the lives of The Apostles
The Apostles
The Apostles are an experimental punk rock band who developed within the confines of the 1980s Anarcho Punk scene in the UK, but did not necessarily adhere to the aesthetics of that movement.-History:...
of Jesus. Marcus along with his brother received a thorough education. They were educated in the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian, Jewish, Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
and Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
cultures, particularly in the traditions of Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, the study of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and in Greek Philosophy.
Life
Marcus with his brother followed their father into business, becoming partners in an import-export firm. The Petrie Ostraca, mentions Marcus’ activities at Myos HormosMyos Hormos
Myos Hormos was a Red Sea port constructed by the Ptolemies around the 3rd century BC. Following excavations carried out recently by David Peacock and Lucy Blue of the University of Southampton, it is thought to have been located on the present-day site of Quseir al-Quadim , eight kilometres north...
and Berenice Troglodytica, ports located in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
between 37-44. He had agent called Hermias, who represented him at an unnamed port.
Marcus’ father and Herodian King Agrippa I
Agrippa I
Agrippa I also known as Herod Agrippa or simply Herod , King of the Jews, was the grandson of Herod the Great, and son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice. His original name was Marcus Julius Agrippa, so named in honour of Roman statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, and he is the king named Herod in the...
were long time friends. Agrippa I as an elegant way to give something back to Alexander the Alabarch, who supported Agrippa I in the past, arranged for his daughter princess Berenice to marry Marcus. In 41, Marcus married Berenice as her first husband. This marriage shows that there were good relations between Marcus’ family and the Herodian Dynasty.
Unfortunately, this marriage was short lived as Marcus died before August 44. Marcus had no children with Berenice. Berenice’s father later arranged for her to marry her paternal uncle Herod of Chalcis
Herod of Chalcis
Herod of Chalcis , also known as Herod V, was a son of Aristobulus IV, and the grandson of Herod the Great, Roman client king of Judaea. He was the brother of Herod Agrippa I and Herodias....
in 44.
Sources
- JOE186, Modrzejewski, p. 186.
- http://kassevans.com/Alexander/AlexanderTheAlabarch_RomanAndJew-Summary.html
- Article of Marcus Julius Alexander from Dutch Version of Wikipedia
- http://books.google.com/books?id=eplQ2TiCgboC&pg=PA85&lpg=PA85&dq=Marcus+Julius+Alexander&source=bl&ots=vMAjUdr1W2&sig=6wdnW9S-Yl3FV1ML6LgOHG8EuxM&hl=en&ei=EyH5SZGNKsaTkAWI4eTvCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#PPA84,M1
- http://books.google.com/books?id=yGPUIYorRg8C&pg=PA219&lpg=PA219&dq=Marcus+Julius+Alexander&source=bl&ots=CghrvBy4e7&sig=rb6qPj-U9z8HBL9p33UC2p-tifY&hl=en&ei=EyH5SZGNKsaTkAWI4eTvCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9