Alexander Lysimachus

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ALEXANDER LYSIMACHUS

ALEXANDER LYSIMACHUS (Gr. ʾΑλέξανδρος Λυσίμαχος), a leader of the Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt, in the first century c.e., and a member of one of the most illustrious and wealthy Alexandrian Jewish families. Alexander was the brother of *Philo of Alexandria and the father of *Tiberius Julius Alexander and Marcus Julius Alexander. He served as *alabarch during the reigns of Tiberius and Claudius. He was imprisoned by Caligula, but Claudius released him and restored him to office. Alexander also served the younger Antonia, Claudius' mother, as procurator of her large estates in Egypt. When Marcus Julius Agrippa was on his way to Rome, he visited Alexandria and asked Alexander for a loan; Alexander lent the sum to Agrippa's wife *Cypros. He made a gift to the Temple, plating its gates with gold and silver.

bibliography:

Jos., Ant., 18:159–60; 19:276; 20:100; Jos., Wars, 5:205; A. Fuks, in: Zion, 13 (1948), 15–17; Schuerer, Gesch, 1 (19044), 567; 2 (19074), 64; 3 (19094), 64, 132, 134; V. Burr, Tiberius Julius Alexander (Ger., 1955).

[Abraham Schalit]

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