had been of
such signal service to its citizens that in gratitude they paid divine
honors to him, and saluted him with the title of Soter (the Savior).
By that designation--Ptolemy Soter--he is distinguished from succeeding
kings of the Macedonian dynasty in Egypt.

He established his seat of government not in any of the old capitals
of the country, but in Alexandria. At the time of the expedition to
the temple of Jupiter Ammon, the Macedonian conqueror had caused the
foundations of that city to be laid, foreseeing that it might be
made the commercial entrepot between Asia and Europe. It is to be
particularly remarked that not only did Alexander himself deport many
Jews from Palestine to people the city, and not only did Ptolemy Soter
bring one hundred thousand more after his siege of Jerusalem, but
Philadelphus, his successor, redeemed from slavery one hundred and
ninety-eight thousand of that people, paying their Egyptian owners a
just money equivalent for each. To all these Jews the same privileges
were accorded as to the Macedonians. In consequence of this considerate
treatment, vast numbers of their compatriots and many Syrians
voluntarily came into Egypt. To them the designation of Hellenistical
Jews was given. In like manner, tempted by the benign government of
Soter, multitudes of Greeks sought refuge in the country, and the
invasions of Perdiccas and Antigonus showed that Greek soldiers would
desert from other Macedonian generals to join is armies.

The population of Alexandria was therefore of three distinct
nationalities: 1. Native Egyptians 2. Greeks; 3. Jews--a fact that has
left an impress on the religious faith of modern Europe.

Greek architects and Greek engineers had made Alexandria the most
beautiful city of the ancient world. They had filled it with magnificent
palaces, temples, theatres. In its centre, at the intersection of its
two grand avenues, which crossed each other at right angles, and in the
midst of gardens, fountains, obelisks, stood the mausoleum, in
which, embalmed after the manner of the Egyptians, rested the body of
Alexander. In a funereal journey of two years it had been brought with
great pomp from Babylon. At first the coffin was of pure gold, but
this having led to a violation of the tomb, it was replaced by one of
alabaster. But not these, not even the great light-house, Pharos, built
of blocks of white marble and so high that the fire continually burning
on its top could be s