as that Darius heard how Alexander had passed
over the Hellespont, and had beaten his lieutenants in the battle at
Granicum, and was proceeding further; whereupon he gathered together
an army of horse and foot, and determined that he would meet the
Macedonians before they should assault and conquer all Asia. So he
passed over the river Euphrates, and came over Taurus, the Cilician
mountain, and at Issus of Cilicia he waited for the enemy, as ready
there to give him battle. Upon which Sanballat was glad that Darius was
come down; and told Manasseh that he would suddenly perform his promises
to him, and this as soon as ever Darius should come back, after he had
beaten his enemies; for not he only, but all those that were in Asia
also, were persuaded that the Macedonians would not so much as come to
a battle with the Persians, on account of their multitude. But the event
proved otherwise than they expected; for the king joined battle with
the Macedonians, and was beaten, and lost a great part of his army. His
mother also, and his wife and children, were taken captives, and he fled
into Persia. So Alexander came into Syria, and took Damascus; and when
he had obtained Sidon, he besieged Tyre, when he sent all epistle to the
Jewish high priest, to send him some auxiliaries, and to supply his army
with provisions; and that what presents he formerly sent to Darius, he
would now send to him, and choose the friendship of the Macedonians, and
that he should never repent of so doing. But the high priest answered
the messengers, that he had given his oath to Darius not to bear arms
against him; and he said that he would not transgress this while Darius
was in the land of the living. Upon hearing this answer, Alexander was
very angry; and though he determined not to leave Tyre, which was just
ready to be taken, yet as soon as he had taken it, he threatened that he
would make an expedition against the Jewish high priest, and through him
teach all men to whom they must keep their oaths. So when he had, with
a good deal of pains during the siege, taken Tyre, and had settled its
affairs, he came to the city of Gaza, and besieged both the city and him
that was governor of the garrison, whose name was Babemeses.

4. But Sanballat thought he had now gotten a proper opportunity to make
his attempt, so he renounced Darius, and taking with him seven thousand
of his own subjects, he came to Alexander; and finding him beginning the
siege of Tyre,