Onias IV
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Onias IV ( he, חוֹנִיּוֹ ''Ḥōniyyō'') was the son of
Onias III Onias III ( he, חוֹנִיּוֹ ''Ḥōnīyyō''), son of Simon II, was Jewish High Priest during the Second Temple period. He is described in scriptures as a pious man who opposed the Hellenization of Judea. He was succeeded by his brother Ja ...
and the heir of the Zadokite line of
High Priests of Israel High Priest ( he, כהן גדול, translit=Kohen Gadol or ; ) was the title of the chief religious official of Judaism from the early post- Exilic times until the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE. Previousl ...
. He built a new Jewish temple at Leontopolis in Ptolemaic Egypt where he reigned as a rival High Priest to the hierarchy in Jerusalem. While he never gained leadership in Judea, he still held influence in Egypt; the territory most heavily populated by Jews was called the
Land of Onias The Land of Onias ( el, Ὀνίας) 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 (Λ ...
in reference to his influence.


Biography

Onias's father
Onias III Onias III ( he, חוֹנִיּוֹ ''Ḥōnīyyō''), son of Simon II, was Jewish High Priest during the Second Temple period. He is described in scriptures as a pious man who opposed the Hellenization of Judea. He was succeeded by his brother Ja ...
served as High Priest from 187–175 BCE. High Priest was also a governmental position, albeit one that kings did not usually interfere with after appointment. However, in 175 BCE, Onias III was dismissed from the High Priesthood and his brother
Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...
was given the role instead. It is not entirely clear why; possibly Jason offered a larger tribute to King
Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus IV Epiphanes (; grc, Ἀντίοχος ὁ Ἐπιφανής, ''Antíochos ho Epiphanḗs'', "God Manifest"; c. 215 BC – November/December 164 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king who ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his deat ...
, possibly Onias III was seen as too friendly to the
Ptolemaic dynasty The Ptolemaic dynasty (; grc, Πτολεμαῖοι, ''Ptolemaioi''), sometimes referred to as the Lagid dynasty (Λαγίδαι, ''Lagidae;'' after Ptolemy I's father, Lagus), was a Macedonian Greek royal dynasty which ruled the Ptolemaic ...
, which had recently ruled Judea and aimed to reclaim it which would eventually become the
Sixth Syrian War The Syrian Wars were a series of six wars between the Seleucid Empire and the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, successor states to Alexander the Great's empire, during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC over the region then called Coele-Syria, one of th ...
in 170 BCE. Onias III fled to the Seleucid capital Antioch, perhaps hoping to petition King Antiochus IV to restore him, where he was killed by his enemies while attempting to claim sanctuary at the shrine to Apollo and Artemis. Around 167–166 BCE, the
Maccabean Revolt The Maccabean Revolt ( he, מרד החשמונאים) was a Jewish rebellion led by the Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire and against Hellenistic influence on Jewish life. The main phase of the revolt lasted from 167–160 BCE and ended ...
began, with one of its major causes being discontent with the policies of High Priest Menelaus. Presumably Onias IV hoped from afar for a victory by the rebel forces of Judas Maccabeus. In Onias IV's preferred scenario, the Maccabees would win, then invite Onias IV to take the office of his fathers. Alternatively, the Seleucid government would relent and appoint him as a bid to regain legitimacy among the populace. Neither of these happened, and instead the Seleucids appointed
Alcimus Alcimus (from grc-gre, Ἄλκιμος ''Alkimos'', "valiant" or Hebrew אליקום ''Elyaqum'', "God will rise"), also called Jakeimos, Jacimus, or Joachim (), was High Priest of Israel for three years from 162–159 BCE. He was a moderate Hel ...
around 162 BCE. Onias IV left Judea for Ptolemaic Egypt at some unknown point, most likely around the time of Alcimus's appointment as High Priest.
Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly d ...
presents two contradicting traditions: in ''
The Jewish War ''The Jewish War'' or ''Judean War'' (in full ''Flavius Josephus' Books of the History of the Jewish War against the Romans'', el, Φλαυίου Ἰωσήπου ἱστορία Ἰουδαϊκοῦ πολέμου πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ...
'', it is Onias III that flees to Egypt (possibly taking his son with him?). In ''
Jewish Antiquities ''Antiquities of the Jews'' ( la, Antiquitates Iudaicae; el, Ἰουδαϊκὴ ἀρχαιολογία, ''Ioudaikē archaiologia'') is a 20-volume historiographical work, written in Greek, by historian Flavius Josephus in the 13th year of the re ...
'', Onias IV leaves for Egypt during the reign of
Antiochus V Eupator Antiochus V Eupator (Greek: ''Αντίοχος Ε' Ευπάτωρ''), whose epithet means "of a good father" (c. 172 BC – 161 BC) was a ruler of the Greek Seleucid Empire who reigned from late 164 to 161 BC (based on dates from 1 Maccabees 6:1 ...
, around the time of Alcimus's ascension. Most historians favor the version in ''Antiquities'', but it is difficult to know for sure. In 152 BCE, the Hasmonean
Jonathan Apphus Jonathan Apphus (Hebrew: ''Yōnāṯān ʾApfūs''; Ancient Greek: Ἰωνάθαν Ἀπφοῦς, ''Iōnáthan Apphoûs'') was one of the sons of Mattathias and the leader of the Hasmonean dynasty of Judea from 161 to 143 BCE. Name H J Wolf no ...
made a deal with Seleucid royal claimant
Alexander Balas Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος Βάλας, Alexandros Balas), was the ruler of the Seleucid Empire from 150/Summer 152 – August 145 BC. Picked from obscurity and supported by the neighboring Roman ...
where Jonathan was appointed as High Priest. As Balas went on to win the ongoing Seleucid civil war, this appointment stuck. Onias IV was not invited back to Judea to take his family line's position, and Onias's personal expectations of the Hasmoneans presumably darkened. The exact date is unknown, but with the permission of
Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VI Philometor ( gr, Πτολεμαῖος Φιλομήτωρ, ''Ptolemaĩos Philomḗtōr'';"Ptolemy, lover of his Mother". 186–145 BC) was a Greek king of Ptolemaic Egypt who reigned from 180 to 164 BC and from 163 to 145 BC. Ptolemy ...
, Onias IV arranged the construction of a temple at Leontopolis. Josephus's book ''Jewish Antiquities'', the main surviving ancient source, describes this construction immediately after describing the death of
Demetrius I Soter Demetrius I (Greek: ''Δημήτριος Α`'', 185 – June 150 BC), surnamed Soter (Greek: ''Σωτήρ'' - "Savior"), reigned as king ( basileus) of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire from November 162 – June 150 BC. Demetrius grew up in Rome ...
in 150 BCE, but does not directly date the event. It might have happened around 145 BCE. Though comparatively small, the new temple was modeled on that of the
Second Temple The Second Temple (, , ), later known as Herod's Temple, was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem between and 70 CE. It replaced Solomon's Temple, which had been built at the same location in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited ...
at Jerusalem, and was called by the name of its founder as the Temple of Onias. Onias possibly expected that after the upheavals in Jerusalem by the Syrians and the Maccabees the Egyptian temple would be regarded as the new legitimate one. As the Hasmoneans largely succeeded in maintaining autonomy, this did not happen; the Temple in Jerusalem was protected and the High Priesthood began to pass down the Hasmonean line. Both Josephus and the
Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah ...
Menahot Tractate Menachot ( he, מְנָחוֹת; "Meal Offerings") is the second tractate of the Order of Kodashim. It has Gemara in the Babylonian Talmud and a Tosefta. Menachot deals with the rules regarding the preparation and presentation of grain- ...
consider Onias's act a despicable betrayal, and consider his temple illegitimate. Menahot chapter 13, mishna 10 directly says "The priests who served in the house of Onias may not serve in the Temple in Jerusalem". Even for Egyptian Jews, the latter did not possess the same importance as did the Temple of Jerusalem. That said, some scholars such as
Victor Tcherikover Victor A. Tcherikover ( he, אביגדור צ'ריקובר‎; 1894–1958) was a Russian-born Israeli scholar. Biography Born in Russia, he settled in Palestine in 1925. He was one of the first teachers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, ...
have argued that the Temple was merely a center for local worship, and the opposition from the Temple of Jerusalem was an overreaction. Onias IV, who enjoyed the favor of the Egyptian court, did succeed in elevating Egyptian Judaism to a position of dignity and importance. A large number of able-bodied Judeans had accompanied Onias to Egypt, and these strangers, who were there called ''Κάτοικοι'' ("inhabitants"), received, on condition of performing military service and preserving the internal peace of the country, tracts of land of their own, on which they lived with their families The district inhabited by them lay between
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
and Pelusium, and was long called the "
land of Onias The Land of Onias ( el, Ὀνίας) 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 (Λ ...
." The first-born sons of the colonists inherited their fathers' privileges and duties. Both Chelkias (Hilkiah) and
Ananias ben Onias Ananias the son of Onias (in Hebrew, ''Hananiya ben Honiyyahu'') was the son of the Jewish high priest, Onias IV, who founded a Jewish Temple at Leontopolis in Egypt during the persecutions of Antiochus IV. Onias won the favor of Ptolemy VI, who ...
(Hananiah), the sons of Onias IV, performed military service and acted as generals under
Cleopatra III Cleopatra III ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα; c.160–101 BC) was a queen of Egypt. She ruled at first with her mother Cleopatra II and husband Ptolemy VIII from 142 to 131 BC and again from 127 to 116 BC. She then ruled with her sons Ptolem ...
who reigned from 117 to 101 BCE. In the power struggle between Cleopatra III and Ptolemy Physcon (who reigned from 146 BCE to 117 BCE), the son of Onias were faithful to Queen Cleopatra.Josephus, "
Contra Apion ''Against Apion'' ( el, Φλαΐου Ἰωσήπου περὶ ἀρχαιότητος Ἰουδαίων λόγος α and ; Latin ''Contra Apionem'' or ''In Apionem'') is a polemical work written by Flavius Josephus as a defense of Judaism as a ...
" ii. 5
This suggests that candidates for the office of high priest occupied a prominent military position. In the course of time the family of Onias lost its prestige, and the later Alabarchs belonged to another family, not entitled to the rank of high priest. The Temple of Onias was closed in 73 CE by order of
Vespasian Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
in the aftermath of the
First Jewish-Roman War First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
.


Patrilineal ancestry


References

{{JewishEncyclopedia, title=Oniasc (Ονίας) 2nd-century BCE High Priests of Israel Ptolemaic Jews