Alexander the Great

Alexander was King of Macedon 336–323 BC. Having secured the borders of Macedon, Alexander embarked (334) on the invasion of Asia, originally projected by his father, Philip. He defeated the Persian king Darius III at the battle of Issus in 333BC, then moved on to Egypt where he founded Alexandria. He defeated the Persians again at Gaugamela in 331 BC, then advanced further east, invading India in 327 BC. He conquered the Punjab before his weary soldiers insisted on turning homeward. Alexander died at Babylon from a fever while drawing up further plans for consolidating his empire.
Back home in Macedon, Alexander was very zealous in sacrificing to his gods. Once in Asia he accepted homage, which the Eastern peoples gave to rulers whom they thought were godlike.
In Spring 331 he made a pilgrimage to the great temple and oracle of Amon-Ra, the Egyptian god of the sun, whom the Greeks identified with Zeus. The earlier Egyptian pharaohs were believed to be sons of Amon-Ra, and Alexander, the new ruler of Egypt, wanted the god to acknowledge him as his son. The pilgrimage was apparently a success, and it may have confirmed Alexander's belief in his own divine origin.
Alexander adopted oriental usages among which was the demand that all who approached him on official occasions should bow down to the earth and kiss his feet. In 323 he also sent notification to all the Greek cities that he was henceforth to be officially numbered among the gods of each city and that such he was to receive the offerings which each city presented. Thus was introduced into Europe absolute monarchy and the divine right of Kings.
Alexander threatened Jerusalem but it was saved by the boldness of High Priest Jaddua. Originally he was going to set up statue of himself in Jerusalem temple. The outraged Jews protested and the open minded Alexander agreed to forgo this privilege if Jews agreed to name their first born son, Alexander instead. The conqueror went on to grant the Jews many privileges.
The rise of Alexander was prophesied 250 years before he was born in the Old Testament Book of Daniel (In Daniel 8 v5-8 and 20-22). It predicts the kingdom of Medo Persia being overthrown by King of Greece. Then the kingdom is divided on his death between his four generals but they will not have the same power.
The conquests of Alexander spread the Greek language far and wide, thus helping the spreading of different philosophical and theological ideas. The translation of the Old Testament into Greek around 50 years later helped spread the idea of monotheism outside the Jewish world.