Bibliography
| Title: "The Jews of Egypt between the Temple of Onias, the Temple of Jerusalem, and Heaven" Pages: 5-22 Type: Generic Year: 1997 Abstract: "Harrington, Daniel J. in: NTAb 42,2 (1998) 345: The ""land of Onias"" (of which the temple of Leontopolis was the linchpin) was viewed by Gentiles as a parallel to the Jewish center in Alexandria (see Ant. 14:117). Although there is evidence from some alexandrine Jewish opposition to Onias' temple (see Ant. 13:62ff and Isa 19:18-19 LXX), the lack of opposition reflects not enthusiastic devotion to the Jerusalem Temple but rather a general lack of interest in temples and sacrificial religion. // Begg, Christopher T. in: OTA 22,3 (1999) 506: The Temple of Onias in Leontopolis, founded by an exiled Judean high priest, is very rarely mentioned in Jewish Hellenistic literature. This has led many scholars to suppose that it was of only marginal significance and that Egyptian Jewry, by and large, remained enthusiastically loyal to the Temple of Jerusalem. S.'s article argues first that the land of Onias - of which the temple was the linchpin - was quite important - being viewed by Gentile observers as parallel to the Jewish center in Alexandria. In this connection, S. devotes special attention to the text and translation of the passage from Strabo preserved by Josephus in Ant. 14.117. Next, he argues that, on the one hand, there is indeed evidence for Alexandrian Jewish opposition to the Temple of Onias (see Ant. 13.62ff. and LXX Isa 19:18-19). On the other hand - and this is the main point - lack of opposition to the Temple of Onias need not, indeed cannot, indicate enthusiastic devotion to the Temple in Jerusalem. Jews enthusiastic about the Temple in Jerusalem could not remain passive vis-a-vis a competing temple, the very existence of which constituted a crass volation of biblical law. Rather, the general lack of Alexandrian Jewish interest in the Temple of Onias is to be understood as a facet of a general lack of interest in temples and sacrificial religion - this consistent with the circumstances of the Jews in the Diaspora, who would rather think of God in heaven and worship him by prayers. This point is illustrated especially from 2 Maccabees, which shows much interest in the Jerusalem polls, but not in the Temple cult - and where the enthusiastic references to Onias, in chaps. 3-4 and 15, are taken to reflect Oniad hopes of regaining the Jerusalem high priesthood, prior to the Hasmonean usurpation of the post." Keywords: Egypt, Judaism in Alexandria and Egypt |