Onias IV

Onias IV(Hebrew:חוֹנִיּוֹḤōniyyō) was the son ofOnias IIIand the heir of theZadokiteline ofHigh Priests of Israel.He built a new Jewish temple atLeontopolisinPtolemaic Egyptwhere 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 theLand of Oniasin reference to his influence.

Biography

Onias's fatherOnias IIIserved 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 brotherJasonwas given the role instead. It is not entirely clear why; possibly Jason offered a larger tribute to KingAntiochus IV Epiphanes,possibly Onias III was seen as too friendly to thePtolemaic dynasty,which had recently ruled Judea and aimed to reclaim it which would eventually become theSixth Syrian Warin 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, theMaccabean Revoltbegan, with one of its major causes being discontent with the policies ofHigh Priest Menelaus.Presumably Onias IV hoped from afar for a victory by the rebel forces ofJudas 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 appointedAlcimusaround 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.Josephuspresents two contradicting traditions: inThe Jewish War,it is Onias III that flees to Egypt (possibly taking his son with him?). InJewish Antiquities,Onias IV leaves for Egypt during the reign ofAntiochus V Eupator,around the time of Alcimus's ascension. Most historians favor the version inAntiquities,but it is difficult to know for sure.

In 152 BCE, the HasmoneanJonathan Apphusmade a deal with Seleucid royal claimantAlexander Balaswhere 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 ofPtolemy VI Philometor,Onias IV arranged the construction of a temple at Leontopolis. Josephus's bookJewish Antiquities,the main surviving ancient source, describes this construction immediately after describing the death ofDemetrius I Soterin 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 theSecond Templeat 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 theMishnahMenahotconsider 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 asVictor Tcherikoverhave 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 calledΚάτοικοι( "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 familiesThe district inhabited by them lay betweenMemphisandPelusium,and was long called the "land of Onias."The first-born sons of the colonists inherited their fathers' privileges and duties. BothChelkias(Hilkiah) andAnanias ben Onias(Hananiah), the sons of Onias IV, performed military service and acted as generals underCleopatra IIIwho reigned from 117 to 101 BCE.In the power struggle between Cleopatra III andPtolemy Physcon(who reigned from 146 BCE to 117 BCE), the son of Onias were faithful to Queen Cleopatra.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 ofVespasianin the aftermath of theFirst Jewish-Roman War.

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Singer, Isidore;et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Oniasc (Ονίας)".The Jewish Encyclopedia.New York: Funk & Wagnalls.