The Land of Onias (Koinē Greek: Ὀνίας)[1] is the name given in Hellenistic Egyptian, Jewish, and Roman sources to an area in ancient Egypt's Nile Delta where a large number of Jews settled. The Land of Onias, which included the city of Leontopolis (Λεόντων πόλις), was located in the Heliopolite Nome (Hebrew: אֹןʾOn "Heliopolis).
While accounts differ on the details, it is known that the Jews of Leontopolis had a functioning temple, distinct from and contemporary to the Temple in Jerusalem, presided over by kohanim (priests) of the family of Onias III or Onias IV,[2] for whom the "Land of Onias" is named. Aside from a somewhat uncertain allusion of the Hellenist Artapanus of Alexandria,[3] only Josephus gives information about this temple.[4] The Talmudic accounts are internally contradictory. The establishment of a central sanctuary in Egypt was probably undertaken in response, in part, to the disorders that arose in Judea under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the desecration of the Second Temple under his reign, the supplanting of the legitimate family of priests by the installation of Alcimus, the personal ambition of Onias IV, and the vast extent of the Jewish diaspora in Egypt that created a demand for a sanctuary of this nature.
^The Jewish War vii. 10, § 3.
^Piotrkowski, Meron. Priests in Exile. pp. 57–58.
^In Eusebius, Præparatio Evangelica, ix. 23
^More explicitly in his Jewish Antiquities (xiii.1-3) than in his The Wars of the Jews (vii.2-4).
family ofOnias III or Onias IV, for whom the "LandofOnias" is named. Aside from a somewhat uncertain allusion of the Hellenist Artapanus of Alexandria...
Onias may refer to: Any of the Jewish high priests known as Onias (Hebrew: חוֹנִיּוֹ Honio, also Honiyya or Honiyahu) at the time of the Second Temple...
Elephantine LandofOnias Philo Modern history Antisemitism in the Arab world Antisemitism in Islam History of the Jews in Africa History of the Jews under...
similar cache of ancient religious and secular documents Herculaneum papyri, similar cache of ancient religious and secular documents LandofOnias, another...
Press. ISBN 9780891304722. LandofOnias Cairo Geniza Elephantine papyri and ostraca "Philo" is the literal Greek translation of the name Yedidiyah (Jedediah)...
the LandofOnias, and to establish a temple with Onias as High Priest. The place is still known as Tell al-Jahudija (Hill of the Jews) today. Onias was...
Manasseh (High Priest) (c. 245-240 BC) Onias II (High Priest) Simon II (High Priest) / Simeon the Just Onias III (High Priest) Jason (High Priest) (175...
III, while dating the project so as to suggest Onias II). It has been suggested that Onias or members of his Zadokite house may have also founded the community...
maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Mafa, Onias, author (19 October 2015). Gender, politics and land use in Zimbabwe, 1980-2012. Codesria. ISBN 978-2-86978-590-8...
by his prophet name Onias). The group accepts many beliefs of the original LDS church at the time when it ceased the practice of polygamy in the 1890s...
was informed of this by a rival of the current High Priest Onias III. Heliodorus was not allowed into the temple, but it required Onias to go explain...
Philadelphos". Josephus wrote extensively about Joseph the nephew of the High Priest Onias and the son of Tobias.Although, since the known individuals mentioned...
some of his kingdom's fortunes by selling the post of Jewish high priest to the highest bidder, and in 171/0 BCE the existing high priest (i.e. Onias III)...
the historicity of the Jewish leader and high priest Jonathan's letter to the Spartans, the authenticity of the letter of Arius to Onias, cited in Jonathan's...
this theory, the first sentence most likely refers to the death of High Priest Onias III, whose murder is described in 1 Maccabees 3:33–35 (died c. 171...
announced that he had found the perfect place, a cottage on six acres ofland in Onia, Arkansas. Lavy packed his belongings for the move south in April 1993...
politics of 175–168 BCE that saw the succession ofOnias III, Jason, and Menelaus as High Priest. Simon, from Chapter 3, continues his dispute with Onias III;...
Hanina of Sepphoris Ananias ben Onias, son of the priest who founded the Jewish Temple at Leontopolis Hananiah of Damascus, known as Ananias of Damascus...
Visions of Amram (4Q543-7), which is dated "prior to Antiochus IV and the Hasmonean revolt," possibly to the time of High Priest of Israel Onias II; Jubilees...
Maccabees regards Onias as a contemporary of the Spartan king Areus I (309-265 BCE). Onias I is thought to be the father or grandfather of Simon the Just...
appointed by Herod the Great; but the son ofOnias III was too young (νηπιος) to succeed his father. Legitimacy of birth and lineage was essential, hence...
BCE Temple ofOnias opened by Onias IV in Egypt as a rival to Temple in Jerusalem. 143 BCE Diodotus Tryphon, a leader supporting the claim of Antiochus...
footnote. "son of Jochanan", Onias I, high priest from 323 to 300 or 290 BCE. New American Bible, 2 Maccabees 3:1–3, footnotes. Onias III high priest...
becomes King of the Seleucid Empire. He accelerates Seleucid efforts to eradicate the Jewish religion by forcing the Jewish High Priest Onias III to step...
were guilty of two acts that greatly incensed the majority of the Jews: they stoned the pious Onias (see Honi ha-Magel) and, instead of a lamb which...
of the Prophets has its headquarters in the Salem, Utah area. In 1968 Robert C. Crossfield published revelations he had received in the Book ofOnias...
Global Information