n down at Leontopolis, in the Nomus
of Heliopolis, and which is named from the country Bubastis; on which
account we cannot but wonder that it should be pleasing to God to have a
temple erected in a place so unclean, and so full of sacred animals.
But since thou sayest that Isaiah the prophet foretold this long ago, we
give thee leave to do it, if it may be done according to your law, and
so that we may not appear to have at all offended God herein."

3. So Onias took the place, and built a temple, and an altar to God,
like indeed to that in Jerusalem, but smaller and poorer. I do not think
it proper for me now to describe its dimensions or its vessels, which
have been already described in my seventh book of the Wars of the Jews.
However, Onias found other Jews like to himself, together with priests
and Levites, that there performed Divine service. But we have said
enough about this temple.

4. Now it came to pass that the Alexandrian Jews, and those Samaritans
who paid their worship to the temple that was built in the days of
Alexander at Mount Gerizzim, did now make a sedition one against
another, and disputed about their temples before Ptolemy himself; the
Jews saying that, according to the laws of Moses, the temple was to be
built at Jerusalem; and the Samaritans saying that it was to be built at
Gerizzim. They desired therefore the king to sit with his friends, and
hear the debates about these matters, and punish those with death who
were baffled. Now Sabbeus and Theodosius managed the argument for the
Samaritans, and Andronicus, the son of Messalamus, for the people of
Jerusalem; and they took an oath by God and the king to make their
demonstrations according to the law; and they desired of Ptolemy, that
whomsoever he should find that transgressed what they had sworn to,
he would put him to death. Accordingly, the king took several of his
friends into the council, and sat down, in order to hear what the
pleaders said. Now the Jews that were at Alexandria were in great
concern for those men, whose lot it was to contend for the temple at
Jerusalem; for they took it very ill that any should take away the
reputation of that temple, which was so ancient and so celebrated all
over the habitable earth. Now when Sabbeus and Tlteodosius had given
leave to Andronicus to speak first, he began to demonstrate out of the
law, and out of the successions of the high priests, how they every one
in succession from his father had r