of the establishment of his temple. The name was certainly given to it after it was built; and the prophecy was made use of to support what was done, rather than to promote it. There seems to have been a collusion between Onias and those of his party, to impose this name upon the place; in order that it might be intitled to the benefit of the prediction. This is plain from the Seventy: where, to give it a proper antiquity, they have supposed it to have been built by their ancestors when in Egypt; and, that what Onias had done, was only a renewal of the antient place and name. For where it is said in the original that the Israelites 7"built for Pha"raoh treasure-cities, Pithom and Raamses ;" the passage has been tampered with, and has been rendered thus ; Και ᾠκοδομησαν πολεις οχυρας τῳ Φαραώ, την τε Πείθω, και Ραμεσση, και Ων, ή εσιν Ηλιοπολις : somebody shrewdly foisting in "On, which is the city of "the sun," to support the pretensions of Onias; and to prove that this was the original name of the place which he had new founded. I make no doubt but this was the reason of the interpolation: and I think it a confirmation of Scaliger's conjecture. Yet this passage should prove that it was a different place from the antient Heliopolis or else the translators must be inconsistent with themselves. The city of Onias, according to this account, is said to

7 Exod. 1. 11.

have been built when the Israelites had resided some time in Egypt for they are presumed to be the builders. But there was another of the same name, the antient On, that is previously mentioned in the same translation; and was prior to their coming into these parts. It is said that Joseph, before the coming of his brethren, had married the daughter of the priest of On at the recommendation of Pharaoh : which On the Seventy very properly translate Heliopolis. * Και εδωκεν αυτῷ [Φαραω] την Ασενεθ θυγατερα Πετεφρη ἱερέως Ηλιοπολεως αυτῷ εις γυναίκα. There was therefore another city called On, or Heliopolis; antecedent to the city of Onias, allowing it to be as antient as they pretend, and manifestly a different city. But, in truth, the whole of this interpretation, that On was Heliopolis, is an impudent interpolation, and calculated for a particular end. Some of the Hellenistic Jews therefore did not seem willing to have the credit of their place and temple rest upon this reading, one shall be called the city of “the sun;” and at the same time the original reading, Air haheres, "the city of destruction," would overthrow all the good they intended to draw from the application so that it could not stand with their pretensions. There was therefore another expedient thought of; and, instead of the former reading, they substituted Air hazedek, that is, "one of them

Genes. 41. v. 45.

"shall be called the city of righteousness;" as if they were diffident of the grounds that they went on before; and knew that the prophecy, as it was first moulded, could not relate to their temple.

I cannot quit this subject, without some strictures on Josephus for the part he takes in the pretensions of Onias; and the mistakes he is guilty of in the process of this story. He informs us, that Onias the son of Onias petitioned Ptolemy Philometor for leave to build a temple in honour of God; and desired a grant of that ground that lay unoccupied in the nome of Heliopolis, where had stood an antient Egyptian temple, that was now in ruins. It seems," it was the spot where Isaiah, who lived six "hundred years before, had prophesied a temple should be erected by one of his nation." 9 Τέτο δε εξάλετο, θαῤῥων μάλιςα τῷ προφήτη Ησαΐα, ός, ετεσιν εμπ προσθεν ἑξακοσίοις πλεον γεγονώς, προειπεν, ὡς δει παντως εν Αιγυπτῳ οικοδομηθηναι ναον τῷ μεγιςῳ Θεῳ ὑπ ̓ ανδρος Ιεδαια. Onias therefore, on the strength of this prophecy, writes a letter to Ptolemy and his queen Cleopatra: which, as it has never, as I know of, been animadverted upon, I will quote at large, together with the answer that was sent in return. The letter was written from Alexandria.

10

Πολλας και μεγαλας ὑμῖν χρειας τετελεκώς εν τοις

9 Jos. Antiq. Jud, lib. 13. cap. 3.

19 Ibid.

κατα πόλεμον εργοις μετα της τε Θες βοηθείας, και γενομε νος εν τη Κοίλη Συρία και Φοινικη, και εις Λεοντων δε πολιν την Ηλιοπολιτε συν τοις Ιεδαίοις, και εις αλλες τοπος αφι κόμενος τα εθνες, και πλείςες εύρων παρα το καθήκον εχοντας ἱερα, και δια τετο δυσνας αλληλοις, ο και Αιγυπτίοις συμβε βηκε δια το πληθος των ἱερων, ἱερων, και το περί της θρησκείας ουχ ὁμοδοξειν επιτηδειοτατον τοπον έυρων εν τῷ προσαγορευομένῳ της Αγριας Βαβασεως οχυρωματι, βρύοντα ποικίλης ύλης και των ἱερων ζωων μεσον δέομαι συγχωρησαι, μοι, το αδεσποτον ανακαθαραντι ίερον και συμπεπτωκος, οικοδομησαι νααν τῷ μεγισῳ Θεῷ, καθ' ὁμοιωσιν τα εν Ἱεροσολύμοις, τοις αυτοίς μετροις, ύπερ τε σε και της γυναικος και των τεκνων ̓ ἵν ̓ εχωσιν δι την Αίγυπτου κατοικεντες Ιεδαίοι, εις αυτό συνιόντες κατα την προς άλληλες ὁμονοιαν, ταις σαις εξυπηρετειν χρείαις. Ησαΐας ὁ προφητης τετο προείπεν Είσαι θυσιατήριον εν Αιγύπτῳ, Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ" και πολλά δε προεφήτευσεν άλλα τοιαύτα δια τον τοπον.

Και

γαρ

The epistle is so diffuse and lax, that it is not easy to reduce it to English. The tenor of it is nearly this.

Having in the war which you have been engaged "in, performed, by the blessing of God, many and signal services in your behalf, both in Cale Syria "and Phenicia; and having observed since my arrival both at Leontopolis in the province of Heliopolis, and at other places where the Jews reside, "that most of them have temples contrary to what

86

66

" they ought to have, and on that account are illdisposed to one another; (a circumstance I have

observed among the Egyptians, which takes its

"rise from the multitude of their temples, and "want of uniformity in their worship) and having 66 lit upon a most convenient spot, within an inclo"sure formerly dedicated to the goddess called the "Agria Bubastis; which place is full of all kinds "of materials, and abounding with sacred animals: "I humbly beg of you to give me leave to clear "this temple that has no owner, and is in ruins; "and to build there a temple to the most high God, 26 upon the same model and the same scale as that "at Jerusalem; for your sake, and the sake of your 66 queen and your children that the Jews who live "in Egypt may be able to meet together in one place with proper uniformity; and be ready at "hand to perform any services you may require. I "must moreover assure you, that the prophet "Isaiah foretold that such a thing should be: There "shall be an altar in Egypt to the Lord God. He "likewise prophesied of many other circumstances "relating to this place."

From this letter we may see the scope and intention of Josephus in his history; and with what caution and allowance he is to be read. His design was to aggrandize his own nation, by giving an account of their divine establishment originally and by displaying a series of great events, that from the earliest times had happened in their favour. In doing which he had Moses and the prophets before him. But, as he was to adapt his history to the turn and disposition of those he wrote to; he often de