Alexandria

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 bce, Alexandria under the Ptolemaic dynasty soon became a unique cultural center that led the Hellenistic world. Cultural interchange created a milieu in which some of the most important Jewish and Christian thinkers would thrive. The Septuagint (lxx) was produced here, largely in the 3rd century bce. With the vibrant intellectual hubs of the Alexandrian museon and library, a distinctive Alexandrian school of philosophy, science, and medicine developed that included such figures as Eratosthenes and Ptolemy. It is likely that many works of Jewish literature written in Greek were composed here, though their provenance cannot be established with certainty. There was a Jewish school of allegorical exegesis, evidenced in the work of Aristobulus and Philo. Paul’s influential associate Apollos came from this city (Acts 18: 24–8). After the uprising of 115–17 ce, when the Alexandrian Jewish community was decimated, allegorical exegesis was continued in the Christian catechetical school, headed by Pantaenus, Clement, and then Origen. Christian teachers such as Basilides, Valentinus, and Isidore were also active in the city. Traditionally the evangelist Mark was said to have died in Alexandria (see, for example, Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. 2: 16, 24), where his tomb was venerated for centuries before his remains were brought to Venice in 828 ce. A useful bibliographical Internet resource for the site may be found online. A remarkable 3-D tour of ancient Alexandria is also provided online.