Alexandria

From: Concise Bible Dictionary: A By: George A. Morrish

• 1 min. read • grade level: 10

The city which Alexander the Great built with the object of its being the capital of the western empire. It was founded in B.C. 332, and was completed by the Ptolemies, who added to its wealth and splendor. It became very populous and a place of great commerce. Learning was cultivated and a famous library was collected. It was there that the translation of the LXX was made which supplied the many Jews who resided there with the Old Testament in Greek, a language with which most of them were familiar. The city is identified with the modern well-known city of the same name, on the Mediterranean. It is only alluded to in the New Testament as being the birthplace of Apollos, who became companion of Paul (Acts 18:24²⁴And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. (Acts 18:24)); and as the city to which certain ships belonged or from whence they sailed (Acts 27:6⁶And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. (Acts 27:6); Acts 28:11¹¹And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. (Acts 28:11)). Tradition relates that the apostle Mark was the first to introduce Christianity into Alexandria. The church there occupied an important position in after years, but not always to its credit.