PTOLEM.EUS
(ap. Hieron. viii, p. 507, ed.Migne) notices the flight of Onias and the building of the temple under the same year (B.C. 102), possibly from the natural connection of the events without regard to the exact date of the latter. Some time at least must be allowed for the mil- itary service of Onias, and the building of the temple may, perhaps, be placed after the conclusion of the last war with Ptolemy Physcon (B.C. cir. 154), when Jona- than " began to judge the people at Machmas" (1 Mace. ix, 73). In Palestine the erection of this second tem- ple was not condemned so strongly as might have been expected. A question, indeed, was raised in later times whether the service were not idolatrous (Jerus, Joma, 43 d, ap. Jost, Gesch. dis. I ml utlmiiitA, 119) ; but theMishna, embodying, without doubt, the old decisions, determines the point more favorably. " Priests who had served at Leontopolis were forbidden to serve at Jerusalem, but were not excluded from attending the public services." "A vow might be discharged rightly at Leontopolis as well as at Jerusalem, but it was not enough to discharge it at the former place only" (Menach. 109 a, ap. Jost, as above). The circumstances under which the new temple was erected were evidently accepted as in some degree an excuse for the irregular worship. The connection with Jerusalem, though weakened in popular estimation, was not broken ; and the spiritual significance of the one Tem- ple remained unchanged for the devout believer (Philo, Be Monarch, ii, § 1, etc.). See Alexandria.
The Jewish colony in Egypt, of which Leontopolis was the immediate religious centre, was formed of va- rious elements and at different times. The settlements which were made under the Greek sovereigns, though the most important, were by no means the first. In the later times of the kingdom of Judah many "trusted in Egypt," and took refuge there (Jer. xliii, 6, 7) ; and when Jeremiah was taken to Tahapanes. he spoke to " all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol and Tahapanes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros" (Jer. xliv, 1). This colony, formed against the command of God, was devoted to complete destruction (Jer. xliv, 27) ; but when the con- nection was once formed, it is probable that the Per- sians, acting on the same policy as the Ptolemies, en- couraged the settlement of Jews in Egypt to keep in check the native population. After the Return, the spirit of commerce must have contributed to increase the number of emigrants; but the history of the Egyp- tian Jews is involved in the same deep obscurity as that of the Jews of Palestine till the invasion of Al- exander. There cannot, however, be any reasonable doubt as to the power and influence of the colony; and the mere fact of its existence is an important consider- ation in estimating the possibility of Jewish ideas find- ing their way to the West. Judaism had secured, in old times, all the treasures of Egypt, and thus the first instalment of the debt was repaid. A preparation was already made for a great work when the founding of Alexandria opened a new era in the histor}' of the Jews. Alexander, according to the policy of all great conquerors, incorporated the conquered in his armies. Samaritans (Josephus, Ant. xi. 8, G) and Jews (Jose- phus, Ant. xi, 8, 5; Hecat. ap. Joseph. ( '. A p. i. 22) are mentioned among his troops; and the tradition is prob- ably true which reckons them among the first settlers at Alexandria (Josephus, War, ii, 18, 7; C. Ap. ii, 4). Ptolemy Soter increased the colony of the Jews in Egypt both by force and by policy; and their num- bers in the next reign may be estimated by the state- ment (Josephus, Ant. xii, 2, 1) that Ptolemy Philadel- phia gave freedom to one hundred and twenty thou- sand. The position occupied by Joseph (Josephus, Ant. xii, 4) at the court of Ptolemy Euergetes I implies that the Jews were not only numerous, but influential. As we go onward, the legendary accounts of the per- secution of Ptolemy Philopator bear witness at least to the great number of Jewish residents in Egypt (3 Mace, iv, 15, 17), and to their dispersion throughout the
PTOLEMAIS
ree
PTOLEMY
Delta. In the next reign many of the inhabitants of Palestine who remained faithful to the Egyptian al- liance fled to Egypt u> escape from the Syrian rule (comp. Jerome, ad Dan. xi, 11. who is. however, con- fused in his account). The consideration which their leaders must have thus gained accounts for the rank which a Jew, Aristobulus, is said to have held under Ptolemy Philometor as "tutor of the king" (SiSdaKa- \o£,2 Mace i. HM. The later history of the Alex- andrian .lews has already been noticed. See Alexan- dria. They retained ilieir privileges under the Ro- mans, though they were exposed to the illegal oppression of individual governors, and quietly acquiesced in the foreign dominion (Josephus, War, \ii. 10, 1). An at- tempt which was made by Bome of the fugitives from Palestine to create a rising in Alexandria after the de- struction of Jerusalem entirely failed: hut the attempt gave the Romans an excuse for plundering, and after- wards (B.C. 71 ) for closing entirely, the temple at Le- ontopolis (Josephus, War, vii, 10).