E. B. Pusey

Alexander and the Temple in Jerusalem

Zachariah - "After the captivity, not to speak now of the prophecy of the four empires in Zachariah, as bearing on that of Daniel, there is a distinct prediction of the conflict of the Jews with the Greeks and of their victories over them. And, before this war, there is a prophecy of a heavy calamity which falls in succession upon Damascus, Homath, Tyre, Zidom and the maritime cities of Philistia, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, Ashdod, in which calamity the Temple of God was to be guarded, not by human power, but by His unseen presence.

'I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth. And this, while God should 'smite the power of Tyre in the sea.'

The selection of the places in of the whole line of country corresponds very exactly to the march of Alexander after the battle of Esis, when the capture of Damascus, which Darius had chosen as the strong depository of his wealth, a Persian man of rank, confidential officers and envoys, opened Coele-Syria; Zidon surrendered; Tyre, especially marked out by Zechariah, (93,4) was taken with great effort after a seven month's siege. Gaza too resisted for five months, was taken, and, it is said, (?);
But Alexander passed by with his victorious army and returned, and Jerusalem remained uninjured. History gives us no other explanation of Zechariah's prophecy than this conquest by Alexander; that conquest agrees minutely with the prophecy. No other event in history does."