Antiquities Book 13, Chapter 3
The Friendship That Was Between Onias And Ptolemy Philometor; And How Onias Built A Temple In Egypt Like To That At Jerusalem.
1. But then the son of Onias the high priest, who was of the same name
with his father, and who fled to king Ptolemy, who was called
Philometor, lived now at Alexandria, as we have said already. When this
Onias saw that Judea was oppressed by the Macedonians and their kings,
out of a desire to purchase to himself a memorial and eternal fame he
resolved to send to king Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra, to ask leave of
them that he might build a temple in Egypt like to that at Jerusalem,
and might ordain Levites and priests out of their own stock. The chief
reason why he was desirous so to do, was, that he relied upon the
prophet Isaiah, who lived above six hundred years before, and foretold
that there certainly was to be a temple built to Almighty God in Egypt
by a man that was a Jew. Onias was elevated with this prediction, and
wrote the following epistle to Ptolemy and Cleopatra: "Having done many
and great things for you in the affairs of the war, by the assistance of
God, and that in Celesyria and Phoenicia, I came at length with the Jews
to Leontopolis, and to other places of your nation, where I found that
the greatest part of your people had temples in an improper manner, and
that on this account they bare ill-will one against another, which
happens to the Egyptians by reason of the multitude of their temples,
and the difference of opinions about Divine worship. Now I found a very
fit place in a castle that hath its name from the country Diana; this
place is full of materials of several sorts, and replenished with sacred
animals; I desire therefore that you will grant me leave to purge this
holy place, which belongs to no master, and is fallen down, and to build
there a temple to Almighty God, after the pattern of that in Jerusalem,
and of the same dimensions, that may be for the benefit of thyself, and
thy wife and children, that those Jews which dwell in Egypt may have a
place whither they may come and meet together in mutual harmony one with
another, and he subservient to thy advantages; for the prophet Isaiah
foretold that, 'there should be an altar in Egypt to the Lord God;'" 5
and many other such things did he prophesy relating to that place.
2. And this was what Onias wrote to king Ptolemy. Now any one may
observe his piety, and that of his sister and wife Cleopatra, by that
epistle which they wrote in answer to it; for they laid the blame and
the transgression of the law upon the head of Onias. And this was their
reply: "King Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra to Onias, send greeting. We
have read thy petition, wherein thou desirest leave to be given thee to
purge that temple which is fallen down at Leontopolis, in the Nomus of
Heliopolis, and which is named from the country Bubastis; on which
account we cannot but wonder that it should be pleasing to God to have a
temple erected in a place so unclean, and so full of sacred animals. But
since thou sayest that Isaiah the prophet foretold this long ago, we
give thee leave to do it, if it may be done according to your law, and
so that we may not appear to have at all offended God herein."
3. So Onias took the place, and built a temple, and an altar to God,
like indeed to that in Jerusalem, but smaller and poorer. I do not think
it proper for me now to describe its dimensions or its vessels, which
have been already described in my seventh book of the Wars of the Jews.
However, Onias found other Jews like to himself, together with priests
and Levites, that there performed Divine service. But we have said
enough about this temple.
4. Now it came to pass that the Alexandrian Jews, and those Samaritans
who paid their worship to the temple that was built in the days of
Alexander at Mount Gerizzim, did now make a sedition one against
another, and disputed about their temples before Ptolemy himself; the
Jews saying that, according to the laws of Moses, the temple was to be
built at Jerusalem; and the Samaritans saying that it was to be built at
Gerizzim. They desired therefore the king to sit with his friends, and
hear the debates about these matters, and punish those with death who
were baffled. Now Sabbeus and Theodosius managed the argument for the
Samaritans, and Andronicus, the son of Messalamus, for the people of
Jerusalem; and they took an oath by God and the king to make their
demonstrations according to the law; and they desired of Ptolemy, that
whomsoever he should find that transgressed what they had sworn to, he
would put him to death. Accordingly, the king took several of his
friends into the council, and sat down, in order to hear what the
pleaders said. Now the Jews that were at Alexandria were in great
concern for those men, whose lot it was to contend for the temple at
Jerusalem; for they took it very ill that any should take away the
reputation of that temple, which was so ancient and so celebrated all
over the habitable earth. Now when Sabbeus and Theodosius had given
leave to Andronicus to speak first, he began to demonstrate out of the
law, and out of the successions of the high priests, how they every one
in succession from his father had received that dignity, and ruled over
the temple; and how all the kings of Asia had honored that temple with
their donations, and with the most splendid gifts dedicated thereto. But
as for that at Gerizzm, he made no account of it, and regarded it as if
it had never had a being. By this speech, and other arguments,
Andronicus persuaded the king to determine that the temple at Jerusalem
was built according to the laws of Moses, 6 and to put Sabbeus and
Theodosius to death. And these were the events that befell the Jews at
Alexandria in the days of Ptolemy Philometor.
with his father, and who fled to king Ptolemy, who was called
Philometor, lived now at Alexandria, as we have said already. When this
Onias saw that Judea was oppressed by the Macedonians and their kings,
out of a desire to purchase to himself a memorial and eternal fame he
resolved to send to king Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra, to ask leave of
them that he might build a temple in Egypt like to that at Jerusalem,
and might ordain Levites and priests out of their own stock. The chief
reason why he was desirous so to do, was, that he relied upon the
prophet Isaiah, who lived above six hundred years before, and foretold
that there certainly was to be a temple built to Almighty God in Egypt
by a man that was a Jew. Onias was elevated with this prediction, and
wrote the following epistle to Ptolemy and Cleopatra: "Having done many
and great things for you in the affairs of the war, by the assistance of
God, and that in Celesyria and Phoenicia, I came at length with the Jews
to Leontopolis, and to other places of your nation, where I found that
the greatest part of your people had temples in an improper manner, and
that on this account they bare ill-will one against another, which
happens to the Egyptians by reason of the multitude of their temples,
and the difference of opinions about Divine worship. Now I found a very
fit place in a castle that hath its name from the country Diana; this
place is full of materials of several sorts, and replenished with sacred
animals; I desire therefore that you will grant me leave to purge this
holy place, which belongs to no master, and is fallen down, and to build
there a temple to Almighty God, after the pattern of that in Jerusalem,
and of the same dimensions, that may be for the benefit of thyself, and
thy wife and children, that those Jews which dwell in Egypt may have a
place whither they may come and meet together in mutual harmony one with
another, and he subservient to thy advantages; for the prophet Isaiah
foretold that, 'there should be an altar in Egypt to the Lord God;'" 5
and many other such things did he prophesy relating to that place.
2. And this was what Onias wrote to king Ptolemy. Now any one may
observe his piety, and that of his sister and wife Cleopatra, by that
epistle which they wrote in answer to it; for they laid the blame and
the transgression of the law upon the head of Onias. And this was their
reply: "King Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra to Onias, send greeting. We
have read thy petition, wherein thou desirest leave to be given thee to
purge that temple which is fallen down at Leontopolis, in the Nomus of
Heliopolis, and which is named from the country Bubastis; on which
account we cannot but wonder that it should be pleasing to God to have a
temple erected in a place so unclean, and so full of sacred animals. But
since thou sayest that Isaiah the prophet foretold this long ago, we
give thee leave to do it, if it may be done according to your law, and
so that we may not appear to have at all offended God herein."
3. So Onias took the place, and built a temple, and an altar to God,
like indeed to that in Jerusalem, but smaller and poorer. I do not think
it proper for me now to describe its dimensions or its vessels, which
have been already described in my seventh book of the Wars of the Jews.
However, Onias found other Jews like to himself, together with priests
and Levites, that there performed Divine service. But we have said
enough about this temple.
4. Now it came to pass that the Alexandrian Jews, and those Samaritans
who paid their worship to the temple that was built in the days of
Alexander at Mount Gerizzim, did now make a sedition one against
another, and disputed about their temples before Ptolemy himself; the
Jews saying that, according to the laws of Moses, the temple was to be
built at Jerusalem; and the Samaritans saying that it was to be built at
Gerizzim. They desired therefore the king to sit with his friends, and
hear the debates about these matters, and punish those with death who
were baffled. Now Sabbeus and Theodosius managed the argument for the
Samaritans, and Andronicus, the son of Messalamus, for the people of
Jerusalem; and they took an oath by God and the king to make their
demonstrations according to the law; and they desired of Ptolemy, that
whomsoever he should find that transgressed what they had sworn to, he
would put him to death. Accordingly, the king took several of his
friends into the council, and sat down, in order to hear what the
pleaders said. Now the Jews that were at Alexandria were in great
concern for those men, whose lot it was to contend for the temple at
Jerusalem; for they took it very ill that any should take away the
reputation of that temple, which was so ancient and so celebrated all
over the habitable earth. Now when Sabbeus and Theodosius had given
leave to Andronicus to speak first, he began to demonstrate out of the
law, and out of the successions of the high priests, how they every one
in succession from his father had received that dignity, and ruled over
the temple; and how all the kings of Asia had honored that temple with
their donations, and with the most splendid gifts dedicated thereto. But
as for that at Gerizzm, he made no account of it, and regarded it as if
it had never had a being. By this speech, and other arguments,
Andronicus persuaded the king to determine that the temple at Jerusalem
was built according to the laws of Moses, 6 and to put Sabbeus and
Theodosius to death. And these were the events that befell the Jews at
Alexandria in the days of Ptolemy Philometor.