Leontopolis (Heliopolis)

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Linant identified the site in 1825,Naville, 1890, p5, "the first account... who visited the place in 1825"Linant, [http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/linant_de_bellefonds1873text/0157?sid=79870f2608af5cf329785a521a8ac207 Memoires], p.139: "Oniosa, Castra Jndceorum. — A 20 kilomètres d'Héliopolis, au nord, on voit un grand monticule de décombres qui sont les restes d'une très-grande ville : ce monticule se nomme Tel-Yeuhoud ou Monticule des Juifs" but Niebuhr had identified it earlier, in the late 18th century.[https://books.google.com/books?id=z5LkAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA152 Niebuhr in Egypt], p151-152

The site includes some massive rectangular earthwork enclosures of the late Middle Kingdom or Second Intermediate Period. They measure around 515m by 490m, and their purpose is probably defensive. These earthen walls were sloping and plastered on the outer face, and almost vertical on the inner face. Egyptian parallels for such a structure are lacking. This enclosure is often interpreted as a fortification built by the Hyksos; it is generally known as the "Hyksos Camp".[http://egyptsites.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/tell-el-yahudiya/ Tell el-Yahudiya] at egyptsites.wordpress.com There are also cemeteries from the Middle Kingdom and later. Ramesses II 's temple and palace have also been excavated. Also, there was a palace of Ramesses III with some fine decorations.

{{see|Land of Onias}}

In the reign of Ptolemy VI Philometor (180–145 BC) a temple modelled after the Temple in Jerusalem was founded by an exiled High Priest of Israel often identified as Onias IV,Joseph. Ant. Jud. xiii. 3. § 3; Hieronym. in Daniel. ch. xi. (Josephus states that both Onias IV and Onias III built the temple at different points in his writing, and overall records a confused genealogy for the priests).{{Cite book |last=Piotrkowski |first=Meron |title=Priests in Exile |pages=57-58}} The temple was founded on the site of a pagan temple dedicated to Bubastis-of-the-fields.{{Cite book |last=Piotrkowski |first=Meron |title=Priests in Exile |pages=35}} The Hebrew colony, which was attracted by the establishment of their national worship at Leontopolis, and which was increased by the refugees from the oppressions of the Seleucid kings in Judea, flourished there for more than three centuries afterwards. In the aftermath of the First Jewish–Roman War, around 73 or 74 CE, Vespasian destroyed the Leontopilite temple, fearing another revolt.Joseph. B. Jud. vii. 10. § 4{{Cite book |last=Rogers |first=Guy MacLean |title=For the Freedom of Zion: the Great Revolt of Jews against Romans, 66-74 CE |date=2021 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-24813-5 |location=New Haven |pages=429, 541}}

Josephus records in The Jewish War that the temple was a tower, made of large stones, 60 cubits high, surrounded by a wall of burnt brick with stone gates. He states that the altar was similar to Jerusalem's, but it had a single lamp of gold that hung from golden chain instead of a Temple menorah.{{Cite web |title=Josephus: Of the War, Book VII |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/war-7.html |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=penelope.uchicago.edu}} In Antiquities of the Jews, he states that the temple overall resembled the Jerusalem temple, which potentially indicates that the temple underwent renovations, initially resembling the Jerusalem temple more strongly and over time becoming a tower-like structure.{{Cite book |last=Piotrkowski |first=Meron |title=Priests in Exile |pages=51}}

It has been suggested that the temple allowed women to serve as priests due to a funerary inscription reading "Marin the priestess". Those who support this idea, or the idea that Marin had an official function in the temple that was distinct from the male priests, state that there is precedent in the Torah for women performing cultic functions and that Egyptian and Greek women in Egypt took up an active priestess role, and that there was enough time for Jews associated with the Leontopolis Temple to have assimilated certain local practices by the time Marin lived. They think she could have played music, poured libations, or prepared sacrifices. It is also possible this inscription meant she was the daughter or wife of a male priest, as no other community allowed women to serve in such roles. Not enough evidence exists to make a definitive conclusion regarding any of these options.{{Cite book |last=Piotrkowski |first=Meron |title=Priests in Exile |pages=189-191}}

While Tell el-Yahudiya was part of the Land of Onias (the term being used on one of the epitaphs found there), it is not universally accepted as being Leontopolis, and therefore, the site of Oniad Temple.{{Cite book |last=Piotrkowski |first=Meron |title=Priests in Exile |pages=5}} One problem is that Roman sources tell us that Leontopolis was 180 stadia (about 33 kilometers) away from Memphis,{{Cite book |last=Piotrkowski |first=Meron |title=Priests in Exile |pages=49}} which is not the distance between Memphis and Tell el-Yahudiya (186 stadia, about {{convert|46|km}}). Further, identification relies upon the fact that the site's name indicates Jewish presence and the presence of images of Bubastis (Bast) being found at the site, neither of which would be unique in the area. The area atop the mound is not sufficient to host a temple or a city as Josephus recorded. Several other common pieces of evidence are also of dubious quality.{{Cite book |last=Piotrkowski |first=Meron |title=Priests in Exile |pages=166-167}}

File:Tell el-Yehudiyeh Ware.JPG|Tell el-Yehudiyeh ware juglets. Rockefeller Museum

File:Egypte louvre 120 asiatique.jpg|Head of an Asiatic prisoner, earthenware, fragment, Tell el-Yahoudiyeh (1184–1153 BCE), one of Ramesses III prisoner tiles

File:Egypte louvre 121 ennemi.jpg|Faience decoration of an enemy. From the palace of Ramses III at Tell el-Yahudiya, Louvre, one of Ramesses III prisoner tiles

{{Commons category|Tell el-Yahudiya}}

{{Reflist}}

• Land of Onias

• Manfred Bietak: Tell el-Yahudiya, in: Kathryn A. Bard (ed.): Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt, London/New York 1999, 791–792.
• John S. Holladay Jr.: Yahudiyya, Tell el-, in: D. B. Redford (ed.): The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt III, Oxford 2001, 527–529.
• Edouard Naville: [https://archive.org/stream/moundjewandcity00grifgoog#page/n17/mode/1up The mound of the Jew and the city of Onias], London 1890.
• Richard Talbert, Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, ({{ISBN|0-691-03169-X}}), p. 74.
• {{ill|Alain-Pierre Zivie|lt=A.-P. Zivie|fr|Alain-Pierre Zivie}}: Tell el-Jahudija, in: Lexikon der Ägyptologie VI, 331–335.

• [http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/geography/cities.htm Archaeologic survey]
• [http://egyptsites.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/tell-el-yahudiya/ Tell el-Yahudiya] at egyptsites.wordpress.com

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Category:Archaeological sites in Egypt

Category:Hyksos cities in ancient Egypt

Category:Former populated places in Egypt

Category:Tells (archaeology)