In 1333 BC King Tutankhamen inherits the throne from his father Pharaoh Akhenaten. King Tut is easily the most recognized of the pharaohs due to the discovery of his lavish tomb in the 1920s and its subsequent exhibitions during the 20th century. Akhenaten was married to the famous Queen Nefertiti (who was not the mother of Tutankhamen) and is known for abandoning Egyptian polytheism in favor of an early form of monotheism.

In 333 BC Alexander the Great conquers Persia under Darius III in the Battle at Issus. He also conquers western Asia Minor, Phrygia, Byblos, Sidon, Syria, etc. Alexander the Great and his four successors are commonly believed to of fulfilled the prophecy in Daniel 8:5-8 as interpreted in Daniel 8:20-22 . The historian Josephus even recorded that Alexander spared Jerusalem after the high priest presented the book of Daniel to him.

In 333 AD Flavius Julius Constans, the youngest son of Constantine I, is made Caesar at Constantinople. He later becomes co-emperor along with his brothers Constantine II and Constantius II. Constans tolerated Judaism, banned pagan sacrifices, and opposed Arianism (a belief which states that Christ, and by extension the Holy Spirit, was created and is therefore separate from, and inferior to, God the Father).