I. HELIOPOLIS, that is to say, the city of the Sun. There is mention made of it in Genesis, and Ezekiel. It is called On in the Hebrew. Potiphar, who married his daughter Aseneth to Joseph, was Priest of Heliopolis. This city was situated upon the Nile, half a day’s journey from Babylon in Egypt. Strabo speaks of ancient Temples and Obelisks, which were shewn there in his time, and great houses belonging to the Priests, which were to be seen there, though the city was intirely deserted.
Besides the city of Heliopolis, called On in Hebrew, there was another in Egypt, situated between Cairo, the town of Copte, and the Red Sea. M. D’Herbelot assures us, that the Arabian writers call the city of Coos, Ain-al-Schams, that is to say, Fountain of the Sun, or Heliopolis, the city of the Sun. He believes it to be the ancient and famous city of Thebes in Upper Egypt: he says, the Arabian Geographers describe it to be in the sixty first degree of longitude, and thirty minutes; and the twenty third of latitude, and thirty minutes. Dapper places Heliopolis at the distance of seven thousand paces eastward from Cairo, and near the village of Matares, and consequently it is very different from the famous Thebes, the Capital of Thebaïs. Heliopolis is now destroyed, and there are only some remains of its ancient grandure discernible. The name of Heliopolis is said to have been given it by reason of a Temple which was there dedicated to the Sun, wherein there was a lookingglass disposed in such a manner, that it reflected the rays of this luminary all day long, so that the whole Temple was enlightned by it with great splendor. Among the ruins of this city, there is an obelisk to be seen, which stands in the middle of a square, with hieroglyphical emblems on the four sides, and a column called Pharaoh’s needle.
Onias the son of Onias the third, having In the year of the World 3842, before J.C. 158, before the Vulg. Æra 162. Antiq. l. 12. c. 10 & l. 20. c. 8. In the year of the World 3854, before J.C. 146, before the Vulgar Æra 150.retired into Egypt, and won the good graces of Ptolemy Philometor, and his wife Cleopatra, obtained permission to build a Temple at Heliopolis, like to that of Jerusalem, for the use of the Jews, who were settled in Egypt. This Temple was standing in Vespasian’s time, who commanded Lupus, Governour of Egypt, to shut it up. Josephus de Bello, l. 7. c. 37. p. 995, 996. Paulinus, who some time after succeeded Lupus, ordered all the ornaments and riches, that were in it, to be taken out, and all the doors to be shut, and would not suffer any religious offices to be performed in it. See ONION. This is the name which was given to this Temple.