the city. The work thus begun was continued after the death of Alexander by the Ptolemies.
Description .— Under the despotism of the later Ptolemies the trade of Alexandria declined, but
its population and wealth were enormous. Its importance as one of the chief corn-ports of Rome
secured for it the general favor of the first emperors. Its population was mixed from the first.
According to Josephus Alexander himself assigned to the Jews a place in his new city. Philo
estimated the number of the Alexandrine Jews in his time at a little less than 1,000,000 and adds
that two of the five districts of Alexandria were called “Jewish districts,” and that many Jews lived
scattered in the remaining three. “For a long period Alexandria was the greatest of known cities.”
After Rome became the chief city of the world, Alexandria ranked second to Rome in wealth and
importance, and second to Athens only in literature and science. Its collection of books grew to be
the greatest library of ancient times, and contained at one time 700,000 rolls or volumes. Here was
made the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament into Greek, begun about B.C. 285, especially
in grain, was very great. According to the common legend, St. Mark first “preached the gospel in
Egypt, and founded the first church in Alexandria.” At the beginning of the second century the
number of Christians at Alexandria must have been very large, and the great leaders of Gnosticism
who arose there (Basilides, Valentinus) exhibit an exaggeration of the tendency of the Church.
PRESENT CONDITION. The city still bears the same name and is a thriving metropolis, with
inhabitants from nearly every European and Oriental nation. Cleopatra’s needle, set up by Thotmes
in 1500 B.C., was found in Alexandria.
Alexandrians
the Jewish colonists of Alexandria, who were admitted to the privileges of citizenship and had
a synagogue at Jerusalem. (Acts 6:9)
Algum Or Almug Trees
the former occurring in (2 Chronicles 2:8; 9:10,11) the latter in (1 Kings 10:11,12) These words
are identical. From (1 Kings 10:11,12; 2 Chronicles 9:10,11) we learn that the almug was brought
in great plenty from Ophir for Solomon’s temple and house, and for the construction of musical
instruments. It is probable that this tree is the red sandle wood, which is a native of India and Ceylon.
The wood is very heavy, hard and fine grained, and of a beautiful garnet color.
Aliah
[Alvah]
Alian
[Alvan]
Allegory
a figure of speech, which has been defined by Bishop Marsh, in accordance with its etymology
as, “a representation of one thing which is intended to excite the representation of another thing.”
(“A figurative representation containing a meaning other than and in addition to the literal.” “A
fable or parable; is a short allegory with one definite moral.”—Encyc. Brit.) In every allegory there
is a twofold sense—the immediate or historic, which is understood from the words, and the ultimate,
which is concerned with the things signified by the words. The allegorical interpretation is not of
the words, but of the thing signified by them, and not only may, but actually does, coexist with the
literal interpretation in every allegory, whether the narrative in which it is conveyed be of things
possible or real. An illustration of this may be seen in (Galatians 4:24) where the apostle gives an
allegorical interpretation to the historical narrative of Hagar and Sarah, not treating that narrative
as an allegory in itself; as our Authorized Version would lead us to suppose, but drawing from it
frankie
(Frankie)
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