902 A SNORT VIEW OF SCRIPTURE DISTORT. ing the Jewish worship in the temple, there must be some per- son to officiate as high-priest upon some occasions : And Onias being fled into Egypt, whether Judas himself did it occa- sionally, or deputed one of the other priests to do it, is not certain : Perhaps Judas might do the duty, as being of the chief families ,of the priesthood, though he did not assume the title. 44. Q. Did Jonathan accept of these proposals ? A. There being" no other high- priest in view, he accepted it by the consent of all the people ; and at the feast of tabernacles he put on the holy robe. Being thus dignified, he joined with Alexander, who still grew stronger, and slew his rival Deme- trius in battle. Note here, That from this time forward the high-priesthood continued in this family of the Asmoneans or Maccabees, till the timeof Herod, who changed it from an office of inheritance, to an arbitrary appointment. It may be proper to observe here, that the family whence the Maccabees came, are called As-. moneans. For Mattathias their father was the son of John, the son of Simon, the son of Asmoneaus. 45. Q. But was Jonathan of the eldest family of Aaron, to whom the priesthood belonged? A. Whether the Maccabeesor Asmoneans were of the race of Josedek the high-priest, is un- certain ; Ezra iii. 2. but it is certain they were of the course of Joarib, which was of the first class of the sons of Aaron ; 1 Maccab. ii. 1. 1 Citron. xxiv. 7. And therefore, on the failure of the former family of priests, and none appearing with abet- ter title, he had the first right to succeed : Besides that he was chosen to it in a vacancy by all the people. 46. Q. Where was Onias all this while ? A. Having fled into Egypt, he gained such an interest in Ptolemy Philometer the king, as to build a Jewish temple in Egypt, exactly like that of Jerusalem, adorned with the same furniture of vessels and altars for incense and sacrifice ; and to have himself and his family established the high-priests of it, where they performed the same religious service as was done at Jerusalem. 47. Q. In what part of Egypt did he build this temple ? A. In the place where Heliopolis, or the city of the sun stood; and there he budded a city also, and called it Onion, after his own name. 48. Q. But how did he persuade the Jews to perform such worship at this temple ? A. By citing the words of Isaiah ; Chapter xix. verses 18, 19. as In that (lay shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan :In that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, :zc." Which is truly to be interpreted concerning the future state of the gospel in that country in the (lays of the Mes- siall ; but Onias applied it tohis own temple and altar.
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