Bible Dictionary: Onias

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Smith's Bible Dictionary

Onias

the name of five high priests in the period between the Old and the New Testament.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ONIAS

o-ni'-as (Onias): There were 3 high priests of the name of Onias, and a 4th Onias who did not become a high priest but was known as the builder of the temple of Leontopolis (Josephus, Ant, XIII, iii, 1-3). Only two persons of the name are mentioned in the Apocrypha-Onias I and Onias III.

(1) Onias I, according to Josephus (Ant., XI, viii, 7), the son of Jaddua and father of Simon the Just (ibid., XII, ii, 5; Sirach 50), and, according to 1 Maccabees 12:7, 20, a contemporary of Areus (Arius), king of Sparta, who reigned 309-265 B.C. (Diod. xx.29). This Onias was the recipient of a friendly letter from Areus of Sparta (1 Maccabees 12:7; see manuscripts readings here, and 12:20). Josephus (Ant., XII, iv, 10) represents this letter as written to Onias III, which is an error, for only two Areuses are known, and Areus II reigned about 255 B.C. and died a child of 8 years (Paus. iii.6, 6). The letter-if genuine-exists in two copies (Josephus, Ant, XII, iv, 10, and 1 Maccabees 12:20;) (see Schurer, History of the Jewish People, 4th edition, I, 182 and 237).

(2) Onias III, son of Simon II (Josephus, Ant, XII, iv, 10), whom he succeeded, and a contemporary of Seleucus IV and Antiochus Epiphanes (2 Maccabees 3:1; 4:7) and father of Onias IV. He was known for his godliness and zeal for the law, yet was on such friendly terms with the Seleucids that Seleucus IV Philopator defrayed the cost of the "services of the sacrifices." He quarreled with Simon the Benjamite, guardian of the temple, about the market buildings (Greek aedileship). Being unable to get the better of Onias and thirsting for revenge, Simon went to Apollonius, governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, and informed him of the "untold sums of money," lodged in the treasury of the temple. The governor told the king, and Seleucus dispatched his chancellor, Heliodorus, to remove the money. Onias remonstrated in vain, pleading for the "deposits of widows and orphans." Heliodorus persisted in the object of his mission. The high priest and the people were in the greatest distress. But when Heliodorus had already entered the temple, "the Sovereign of spirits, and of all authority caused a great apparition," a horse with a terrible rider accompanied by two strong and beautiful young men who scourged and wounded Heliodorus. At the intercession of Onias, his life was spared. Heliodorus advised the king to send on the same errand any enemy or conspirator whom he wished punished. Simon then slandered Onias, and the jealousy having caused bloodshed between their followers, Onias decided to repair in person to the king to intercede for his country. Apparently before a decision was given, Seleucus was assassinated and Epiphanes succeeded (175 B.C.). Jason, the brother of Onias, having offered the new king larger revenue, secured the priesthood, which he held until he himself was similarly supplanted by Menelaus, Simon's brother (2 Maccabees 4:23; Josephus, Ant, XII, v, 1, says Jason's brother). Menelaus, having stolen golden vessels belonging to the temple to meet his promises made to the king, was sharply reproved by Onias. Menelaus took revenge by persuading Andronicus, the king's deputy, to entice Onias by false promises of friendship from his sanctuary at Daphne and treacherously slay him-an act which caused indignation among both the Jews and the Greeks (2 Maccabees 4:34;). Josephus (Ant., XII, v, 1) says that "on the death of Onias the high priest, Antiochus gave the high-priesthood to his brother Jesus (Jason)," but the account of 2 Maccabees given above is the more probable. Some see in Daniel 9:26; Daniel 11:22 reference to Onias III (Schurer, 4th edition, I, 194;; III, 144).

S. Angus

Library

The Friendship that was Between Onias and Ptolemy Philometor; and ...
... CHAPTER 3. The Friendship That Was Between Onias And Ptolemy Philometor; And
How Onias Built A Temple In Egypt Like To That At Jerusalem. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 3 the friendship that.htm

How Antiochus Made a League with Ptolemy and How Onias Provoked ...
... CHAPTER 4. How Antiochus Made A League With Ptolemy And How Onias Provoked Ptolemy
Euergetes To Anger; And How Joseph Brought All Things Right Again, And ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 4 how antiochus made.htm

How
... 1. About this time, upon the death of Onias the high priest, they gave the high
priesthood to Jesus his brother; for that son which Onias left [or Onias IV ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 5 how.htm

An Enumeration of the High Priests.
... democratical government for four hundred and fourteen years; and then the forementioned
Antiochus, and Lysias the general of his army, deprived Onias, who was ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 an enumeration of.htm

How Aretas and Hyrcanus Made an Expedition against Aristobulus and ...
... And How Scaurus The Roman General Raised The Siege. Concerning The Death
Of Onias. 1. After these promises had been given to Aretas ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 2 how aretas and.htm

The Property of Widows or of all the Faithful...
... danger to oneself. This is illustrated by the example of Onias the priest,
and of Ambrose, bishop of Ticinum. 144. Great care must ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xxix the property of.htm

That Many of the Sicarii Fled to Alexandria Also and what Dangers ...
... Many Of The Sicarii Fled To Alexandria Also And What Dangers They Were In There;
On Which Account That Temple Which Had Formerly Been Built By Onias The High ...
/.../chapter 10 that many of.htm

For, First of All, under King Seleucus, the Son of Antiochus the ...
... For, first of all, under king Seleucus, the son of Antiochus the great, a certain
man called Simon accused to the king on false charges Onias the priest, a ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter xviii for first of.htm

The Syrian Persecution.
... He tried to raise money by sending his servant, Heliodorus, to rob the temple at
Jerusalem Onias, the High Priest, and all the people, were in great distress ...
/.../yonge/the chosen people/lesson xvii the syrian persecution.htm

How the City Jerusalem was Taken, and the Temple Pillaged [By ...
... However, Onias, one of the high priests, got the better, and cast the sons of Tobias
out of the city; who fled to Antiochus, and besought him to make use of ...
/.../chapter 1 how the city.htm

Thesaurus

Onias
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ONIAS. o-ni'-as (Onias): There were 3
high priests of the name of Onias, and a 4th Onias who did ...
/o/onias.htm - 10k

Menelaus
... la'-us (Menelaos): According to the less likely account of Josephus (Ant., XII,
v, 1; XV, iii, 1; XX, x, 3), Menelaus was a brother of Jason and Onias III, and ...
/m/menelaus.htm - 9k

Arius
... A king of Sparta (309-265 BC) who wrote the letter to Onias, the high priest,
given in 1 Maccabees 12:7, 20-23. There were two Spartan ...
/a/arius.htm - 6k

Ir-ha-heres
... Jewish quarrels concerning the temple which Onias built in Egypt have most probably
been responsible for the altering of the texts of some of the early ...
/i/ir-ha-heres.htm - 12k

Irhaheres
... Jewish quarrels concerning the temple which Onias built in Egypt have most probably
been responsible for the altering of the texts of some of the early ...
/i/irhaheres.htm - 13k

Judith (1 Occurrence)
... to the Jews. After holding out for some days, the besieged people insisted
that Onias their governor should surrender. This he promises ...
/j/judith.htm - 27k

Epiphanes
... He was called in to settle a quarrel between Onias III and his brother, Jason, the
leader of the Hellenizing faction in Jerusalem, and Onias was driven out (2 ...
/e/epiphanes.htm - 8k

Heliodorus
... of the Jewish Church, III, 287). In spite of the protest of Onias, the
high priest, Heliodorus. was proceeding to carry out his ...
/h/heliodorus.htm - 8k

Desolation (131 Occurrences)
... When Antiochus Epiphanes arose to the throne, Onias III, as high priest, was the
leader of the old orthodox party in Judea; the head of the Hellenists was his ...
/d/desolation.htm - 46k

Architecture
... CONCLUSIONS FROM ACTUAL REMAINS 1. Defense Walls 2. Streets 3. Absence of the "Grand
Manner" 4. Solomonic Detail 5. Temple of Onias 6. Comparison with ...
/a/architecture.htm - 28k

Subtopics

Related Terms

Judith (1 Occurrence)

Epiphanes

Heliodorus

Desolation (131 Occurrences)

Architecture