Many
Israelites went on to Egypt from Babylon instead of returning to Israel. History records a substantial Hebrew population in
northern Egypt.
The
roots of the double Old Testament canon in geography center around the fact that
a great number of Israelites departing Babylon fled to northern Egypt.
They
became part of the city
of Alexandria after Alexander the Great conquered the
region and founded
the city. There were ultimately more Jews in Alexandria at the time of Christ than
lived in Palestine -- as there are more Jews in the United States today than in Israel and more Jews in New
York City than in Jerusalem.
