IV. ONIAS, Son of Onias III. of whom we have now treated, who never enjoyed the High-priesthood. The Ambition of his Uncles Jason and Menelaus, and the Injustice of the Kings of Syria, always kept him from it. However he had always flattered himself with the Hopes of obtaining it, till the Death of his Uncle Menelaus: But when he saw that Menelaus was put to Death1, and that Antiochus Eupator had appointed as a Successor to him Alcimus or Jacimus, who was indeed of the Race of Aaron, but not of the Family of Onias; and that Lysias Regent of the Kingdom of Syria, had advised the King no longer to continue the High-Priesthood in this Family2: Onias IV. soon perceiving that he had no longer any Thing to hope for in this Affair, took Refuge in Egypt3 with Ptolemy Philometor, where having insinuated himself into the good Opinion of this Prince, and of Cleopatra his Queen, he obtained from them a Permission to build a Temple to the true God, in the Prefecture of Heliopolis4. This Temple was called Onion, and we shall speak of it in a particular Article. See ONION.
Josephus in his second Book against Apion, p. 1064, says that Ptolemy Philometor and Cleopatra his Queen, placed so great Confidence in Onias and in Dositheus, both Jews, that they intrusted them with the Command of their Army. And after the Death of King Philometor, Cleopatra being desirous to secure the Kingdom to her Son, who was the lawful Heir of Philometor, and Ptolemy Euergetes, otherwise called Physcon, opposing this Settlement; the Queen made Use of Onias IV. to make War against him. Onias advanced towards Alexandria with a small Army of Jews, and appeased a Sedition that had been raised in that City. But Ptolemy having compelled the Queen to marry him, put to Death all those that were in the Interest of the young Prince, and killed him in the Arms of his Mother the very Day of their Marriage, in the very midst of the Solemnity. ‘Tis not said whether Onias was put to Death on this Occasion, but the Thing is very probable.
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Footnotes
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2 Macc. xiii. 4, 8, &c. Joseph. Antiq. l. xii. c. 15. In the Year of the World 3842, before Christ 158, before the vulgar Æra 162. ↩
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Antiq. l. xii. c. 15. & l. xx. c. 8. ↩
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In the Year of the World 3842, before Christ 158, before the vulgar Æra 162. ↩
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This Temple was not built till the Year of the World 3854, before Christ 146, before the vulgar Æra 150. ↩