‘AND THE KING OF THE SOUTH SHALL BE STRONG’ (DANIEL 11:5a)

‘AND THE KING OF THE SOUTH SHALL BE STRONG’ (DANIEL 11:5a)

Ptolemy I Soter Macedonian King of Egypt after Alexander’s Death – ‘The King of The South’ (Daniel 11:5a)

A powerful king (Co-Co, The Chimpanzee Schoolmaster, used to argue,) did not necessarily:

  • rule over the greatest land mass by virtue of his mighty military force and skill
  • dominate the seas
  • have the greatest diplomatic sway
  • have riches above all others.
  • found a dynasty which ruled for over two hundred years

The ‘strongest’ king was allowed to reign over The Land of Israel by THE KING OF KINGS (Daniel 11:5a).

For a time Ptolemy I Soter and his descendants were allowed to rule over The Land Promised To Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants, the land of Ancient Israel.

Rulers Granted Such A Privilege Are Judged By THE GOD OF JUSTICE AND MERCY.

This Macedonian Successor of Alexander The Great will one day be judged by THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE as to how righteously He and His House ruled The Land Which Was Promised to The People of GOD – just as all human beings from Adam and Eve to the last of their descendants will be judged.

Ptolemy I established a kingdom which (one could argue,) lasted almost three hundred years from 331 B.C.E. – 31 B.C.E.

Kings of the Ptolemaic Period (323-30 BC)

It was not, however, established by:

‘The Righteousness Which Establishes A Kingdom Forever'(Proverbs 16:12)

Ptolemy I , ‘The King of The South’ (Daniel 11:5a) established his kingdom through the worldly wisdom of mighty ancient monarchs.

Firstly, he chose the wealthiest satrap of The Persian [Achaemenid] Empire at the Partition of Babylon after Alexander’s death – Egypt, with its mysterious Nile River which replenished and enriched the soil every year when it flooded. This phenomenon enabled its farmers to grow the best wheat in the world in abundance. (Co-Co, The Chimpanzee Schoolmaster, used to argue that Ptolemy’s vision of a separate kingdom centred on Egypt had its origin when he accompanied Alexander to The Oracle In The Siwa Oasis (where Alexander was proclaimed A Son of Zeus).

Co-Co contemplating the political machinations of Ptolemy I, ‘The King of The South’ (Daniel 11:5a)

Secondly, he learned all that he could with regard to warfare, from his king, the brilliant military commander, Alexander of Macedon. Not one of Alexander’s commanders had Alexander’s daring brilliance and charisma but each commander led his troops from the front and knew how to inspire his men. Ptolemy, for example, mastered the use of elephants in battle. At The Battle of Gaza in 312 B.C.E., Ptolemy single-handedly killed an elephant by stabbing him in the eye with his spear. He also knew how to defeat an elephant charge by laying down wooden panels with nails protruding on the field of battle.

Thirdly, Ptolemy learned from Alexander, the art of honouring the religious customs of conquered peoples. Ptolemy allowed the Egyptians to practise their religion. Indeed, unlike other successors of Alexander, Ptolemy did not attempt to Hellenize his Egyptian subjects. He encouraged Greeks and Macedonians to settle in Egypt and to become its aristocracy. The Ptolemaic kings, like Alexander, appreciated the importance of ceremony and the parade of great wealth in subduing their subjiects. Ptolemy did not use his subjects as soldiers. (He knew that the Egyptians, if trained in warfare, could rise up against his rule.)

Fourthly, he was not above having adversaries murdered. Cleomenes (the man whom Alexander had appointed as satrap of Egypt,) was executed by Ptolemy, who also took control of all the moneys that Cleomenes had raised by taxing the Egyptians Perdiccas, the regent of the empire, was assassinated by three of his officers – one of whom was Seleucus, (who had served under Ptolemy). Ptolemy crossed The Nile the next day to provide supplies to Perdiccas’ s army.

Fifthly, he did not squander his own life on the battle field as the grand old warrior, Antigonus, the father of Demetrius, or Lysimachus. one of Alexander’s most skilled generals, whose faithful dog protected his master’s body from the birds of prey.

Ptolemy retreated from Syria – three times – hearing of Antigonus and Demetrius’s victories. The fourth time, hearing of Seleucus and Lysimachus’ s victory at The Battle of Ipsus in 301 B.C.E. Ptolemy occupied Syria. (Ptolemy was regarded by Lysimachus and Seleucus as having deserted the field at The Battle of Ipsus. After The Battle of Ipsus, Syria was apportioned to Seleucus, but Seleucus did not contest Ptolemy’s illegal occupation of Syria and Judaea out of appreciation for Ptolemy’s ensuring that Seleucus had been given the wealthy satrap of Babylonia after the death of Perdiccas in 321 B.C.E.) Ptolemy abandoned his men at Cypus after a naval defeat in 306 B.C.E. Ptolemy abandoned his gains in Greece – always ensuring that Egypt was safe-guarded.

Sixthly, Ptolemy used his great wealth to buy influence. He sent great assistance of the island of Rhodes when it was besieged by Demetrius in 305/4 B.C.E.

Seventhly, Ptolemy attracted Macedonians and Greeks to his well-ordered kingdom with his good nature and liberality. He continued to build the first Alexandria which Alexander founded. Ptolemy founded The Great Library of Alexandria. He himself was an historian and man of letters, writing an eye-witness account of Alexander’s campaigns (now lost). In the second century A.D. Ptolemy’s history was used by Arrian of Nicomedia as one of his two main primary sources for his own extant ‘Anabasis [A Military Advance into The Interior of Another Country] of Alexander’.

Arrian’s ‘Anabasis of Alexander’

Lastly, unlike all the successors of Alexander, Ptolemy died peacefully in Egypt. In 285, three years before his death, he made his eldest son – by Berenice (his favoured third wife,) Ptolemy II, his co-regent. Ptolemy I died at the age of eighty four/five after a rule of twenty-three years.

Is it any wonder that Ptolemy I grew strong! He was a skilled military commander but a pragmatist, a monarch whose ambition was realistic. He knew that he was no Alexander able to rule the world: Egypt and its surrounds were ultimately sufficient for him.

In conclusion, perhaps, Ptolemy’s greatest feat was to steal the body of Alexander and have it buried in Alexandria thus securing to himself the homage of the Egyptians. (It was the custom in Egypt that the succeeding pharoah must bury his predecessor’s body. Of course, this was a custom in Macedonia also. In preventing Perdiccas from burying Alexander’s body, Ptolemy ensured that Perdiccas could not rule Alexander’s empire. It was this act which was the cause of The First War of The Successors [Diadochi].

The Carriage Carrying The Body of Alexander, The Great.

Next Week: ‘One of Ptolemy’s Princes’ (Daniel 11:5b)

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