🔼The name Alexandria: Summary
- Meaning
- The Defence Of The Men
- Etymology
- From (1) the verb αλεξω (alexo), to ward off, and (2) the noun ανδρος (andros), of man.
🔼The name Alexandria in the Bible
The conquests of Alexander the Great led to the formation of a few dozen cities named Alexandria, ranging from Egypt to Persia and Afghanistan (according to the Times Atlas of the Bible). The full name of the city called Troas in the Bible was Alexandria Troas.
The Alexandria referred to in the Bible was a city founded by the Ptolemies, Alexander's successors in Egypt, who made it a capital but also a renowned center of learning (says the Oxford Companion to the Bible).
The Egyptian city of Alexandria is only mentioned indirectly in the Bible. In Acts 6:9 and 18:24 we read of Alexandrians, and in Acts 27:6 and 28:11 we read about Alexandrian (Αλεξανδρινος) ships (see full concordance).
Please see our article on the name Alexander for a closer look at the meaning and etymology of both these names, and see our article on the name Zenas for a possible connection between the New Testament and the famous library of Alexandria.