Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 13.62
But then the son of Onias the high priest, who was of the same name with his father, and who fled to king Ptolemy, who was called Philometor, lived now at Alexandria, as we have said already. When this Onias saw that Judea was oppressed by the Macedonians and their kings, out of a desire to purchase to himself a memorial and eternal fame he resolved to send to king Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra, to ask leave of them that he might build a temple in Egypt like to that at Jerusalem and might ordain Levites and priests out of their own stock.
The chief reason why he was desirous so to do, was, that he relied upon the prophet Isaiah, who lived above six hundred years before, and foretold that there certainly was to be a temple built to Almighty God in Egypt by a man that was a Jew. Onias was elevated with this prediction, and wrote the following epistle to Ptolemy and Cleopatra: "Having done many and great things for you in the affairs of the war, by the assistance of God, and that in Celesyria and Phoenicia, I came at length with the Jews to Leontopolis, and to other places of your nation, where I found that the greatest part of your people had temples in an improper manner, and that on this account they bare ill-will one against another, which happens to the Egyptians by reason of the multitude of their temples, and the difference of opinions about Divine worship.
Now I found a very fit place in a castle that hath its name from the country Diana; this place is full of materials of several sorts, and replenished with sacred animals; I desire therefore that you will grant me leave to purge this holy place, which belongs to no master, and is fallen down, and to build there a temple to Almighty God, after the pattern of that in Jerusalem, and of the same dimensions, that may be for the benefit of thyself, and thy wife and children, that those Jews which dwell in Egypt may have a place whither they may come and meet together in mutual harmony one with another, and he subservient to thy advantages; for the prophet Isaiah foretold that "there should be an altar in Egypt to the Lord God; 1 and many other such things did he prophesy relating to that place."
But then the son of Onias the high priest, who was of the same name with his father, and who fled to king Ptolemy, who was called Philometor, lived now at Alexandria, as we have said already. When this Onias saw that Judea was oppressed by the Macedonians and their kings, out of a desire to purchase to himself a memorial and eternal fame he resolved to send to king Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra, to ask leave of them that he might build a temple in Egypt like to that at Jerusalem and might ordain Levites and priests out of their own stock.
The chief reason why he was desirous so to do, was, that he relied upon the prophet Isaiah, who lived above six hundred years before, and foretold that there certainly was to be a temple built to Almighty God in Egypt by a man that was a Jew. Onias was elevated with this prediction, and wrote the following epistle to Ptolemy and Cleopatra: "Having done many and great things for you in the affairs of the war, by the assistance of God, and that in Celesyria and Phoenicia, I came at length with the Jews to Leontopolis, and to other places of your nation, where I found that the greatest part of your people had temples in an improper manner, and that on this account they bare ill-will one against another, which happens to the Egyptians by reason of the multitude of their temples, and the difference of opinions about Divine worship.
Now I found a very fit place in a castle that hath its name from the country Diana; this place is full of materials of several sorts, and replenished with sacred animals; I desire therefore that you will grant me leave to purge this holy place, which belongs to no master, and is fallen down, and to build there a temple to Almighty God, after the pattern of that in Jerusalem, and of the same dimensions, that may be for the benefit of thyself, and thy wife and children, that those Jews which dwell in Egypt may have a place whither they may come and meet together in mutual harmony one with another, and he subservient to thy advantages; for the prophet Isaiah foretold that "there should be an altar in Egypt to the Lord God; 1 and many other such things did he prophesy relating to that place."
13.69
King Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra to Onias, send greeting. We have read thy petition, wherein thou desirest leave to be given thee to purge that temple which is fallen 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."
King Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra to Onias, send greeting. We have read thy petition, wherein thou desirest leave to be given thee to purge that temple which is fallen 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."
In one part is reads "a castle that hath its name from the country Diana" and later "which is named from the country Bubastis", an example have poor and inconsistent translations of Josephus we have today.
13:66
Where I found that the greatest part of your people had temples in an improper manner, and that on this account they bare ill-will one against another, which happens to the Egyptians by reason of the multitude of their temples, and the difference of opinions about divine worship. Now I found a very fit place in a castle that hath its name from the country Diana; this place is full of materials of several sorts, and replenished with sacred animals;
καὶ πλείστους εὑρὼν παρὰ τὸ καθῆκον ἔχοντας ἱερὰ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δύσνους ἀλλήλοις, ὃ καὶ Αἰγυπτίοις συμβέβηκεν διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἱερῶν καὶ τὸ περὶ τὰς θρησκείας οὐχ ὁμόδοξον, ἐπιτηδειότατον εὑρὼν τόπον ἐν τῷ προσαγορευομένῳ τῆς ἀγρίας Βουβάστεως ὀχυρώματι βρύοντα ποικίλης ὕλης καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν ζῴων μεστόν
Where I found that the greatest part of your people had temples in an improper manner, and that on this account they bare ill-will one against another, which happens to the Egyptians by reason of the multitude of their temples, and the difference of opinions about divine worship. Now I found a very fit place in a castle that hath its name from the country Diana; this place is full of materials of several sorts, and replenished with sacred animals;
καὶ πλείστους εὑρὼν παρὰ τὸ καθῆκον ἔχοντας ἱερὰ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δύσνους ἀλλήλοις, ὃ καὶ Αἰγυπτίοις συμβέβηκεν διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἱερῶν καὶ τὸ περὶ τὰς θρησκείας οὐχ ὁμόδοξον, ἐπιτηδειότατον εὑρὼν τόπον ἐν τῷ προσαγορευομένῳ τῆς ἀγρίας Βουβάστεως ὀχυρώματι βρύοντα ποικίλης ὕλης καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν ζῴων μεστόν
13:70
King Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra to Onias, send greeting. We have read thy petition, wherein thou desirest leave to be given thee to purge that temple which is fallen 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.
ἀντέγραψαν γὰρ οὕτως: ‘βασιλεὺς Πτολεμαῖος καὶ βασίλισσα Κλεοπάτρα Ὀνίᾳ χαίρειν. ἀνέγνωμέν σου τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀξιοῦντος ἐπιτραπῆναί σοι τὸ ἐν Λεόντων πόλει τοῦ Ἡλιοπολίτου ἱερὸν συμπεπτωκὸς ἀνακαθᾶραι, προσαγορευόμενον δὲ τῆς ἀγρίας Βουβάστεως. διὸ καὶ θαυμάζομεν, εἰ ἔσται τῷ θεῷ κεχαρισμένον τὸ καθιδρυσόμενον ἱερὸν ἐν ἀσελγεῖ τόπῳ καὶ πλήρει ζῴων ἱερῶν
King Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra to Onias, send greeting. We have read thy petition, wherein thou desirest leave to be given thee to purge that temple which is fallen 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.
ἀντέγραψαν γὰρ οὕτως: ‘βασιλεὺς Πτολεμαῖος καὶ βασίλισσα Κλεοπάτρα Ὀνίᾳ χαίρειν. ἀνέγνωμέν σου τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀξιοῦντος ἐπιτραπῆναί σοι τὸ ἐν Λεόντων πόλει τοῦ Ἡλιοπολίτου ἱερὸν συμπεπτωκὸς ἀνακαθᾶραι, προσαγορευόμενον δὲ τῆς ἀγρίας Βουβάστεως. διὸ καὶ θαυμάζομεν, εἰ ἔσται τῷ θεῷ κεχαρισμένον τὸ καθιδρυσόμενον ἱερὸν ἐν ἀσελγεῖ τόπῳ καὶ πλήρει ζῴων ἱερῶν
ἀγρίας Βουβάστεως (ἄγρ-, ἀγορ- = יער)
ἀγρίας : of animals, wild, living in fields, of countries, wild, uncultivated, of men, savage and fierce
ἀγρεύς : hunter, epithet of Aristaeus (son of Cyrene and Apollo)
ἀγρότερος : fond of the chase, huntress, of the nymph Cyrene, Artemis the huntress.
ἄγροικος : dwelling in the field, of men, countryman, rustic, of fruits.
Bastet - Goddess of cats, cosmetics, childbirth, depicted with a Lioness or cat head.
Gk. αἴλουρος
The other goddess of cats and lionesses is Sekhmet and her major cult centre was Leontopolis, She symbolises Hunting and thus equates with Artemis, more-so then Bastet. She was also the protector of the Pharaoh during warfare, the same function as the Biblical יהוה צבאות.
Lord of Hosts (יהוה צבאות) as a feminine noun suffixed onto יהוה. The initial צ is guttural that can represent the σκ, for example the σκύμνος (Skúmnos) "lion's whelp" for Σκευᾶ (Sceva) in Acts 19:15. (צבוא, צבא, שבע).
λέαινα is the feminine word for lion hence lioness, the Latin is Leaena, that is more fitting since the place is associated with lioness goddesses. Magna Leaena (Great Lioness) also the meaning of Magdalene, the Book of Mark was originally in Latin so the form takes Magna Leaena rather then μέγαλα λέαινα or מגדול לביא also the epithet of Fulvia. cf. LVIA/לביא.
Isaiah 1.26
The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
עיר הצדק קריה נאמנה
δικαιοσύνης μητρόπολις πιστὴ
Isaiah 19.18
The city of destruction
עיר ההרס יאמר לאחת
πόλισ-ασεδεκ κληθήσεται ἡ μία πόλις
The Septuagint as "πόλισ-ασεδεκ" for עיר ההרס in Isaiah 19.18, so why not עיר הצדק/πόλισ-ασεδεκ in Isaiah 1.26.
הצדק commonalty interpreted as δίκαιος, but δίκ- is דינ־, the meaning of צדק is through ἔνδικος, the Archaic form is ἴνδικος. "עיר הצדק" [πόλις ἡ ἔνδικος]
(ἔνδικος) πόλις, a city in which justice is done, Pl.Hp.Ma.292b
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/mor ... ek#lexicon
Nomus of Heliopolis
Josephus 12.388 : ἐν τῷ νομῷ τῷ Ἡλιοπολίτῃ (In the Nomus of Heliopolis)
Josephus 13.285 : τὸν ναὸν ἐν τῷ Ἡλιοπολίτῃ νομῷ (The temple in the prefecture of Heliopolis)
This similar to the נאמנה in Isaiah 1.26 read as "faithful", but compare with נאות "habitation, pasturage", נאמנה is read as πιστὴ, with the effeminate ending for ἀλάθεια or ἀλάθειαν and πιστὴ cognates בטחה "faith" as in Fides publica, bona Fides, Pistis, πιστος, εὔπιστος .
Amos 1:2 - נאות הרעים 'habitations of the shepherds'
Septuagint reads 'αἱ νομαὶ τῶν ποιμένων', the cognate reading is οἱ νειοί τῶν θυραυλῶν (or ἀγραύλων)
Sept. as μητρόπολις for קריה, most often the Septuagint reads both קריה and עיר as πόλις and no distinction is made in translations, μητρόπολις appears thrice in Sept, the other in Joshua 14:15, האדם הגדול/μητρόπολις and in 2 Samuel 20:19 עירואם/μητρόπολιν.
ההרס
1. θάρσος, θάρρος 'courage' (epithet of Athena), θαρσῶ (verb) courage, fear not, in bad-sense, make bold,
*Exodus 19:21; פן־יהרסו/μή θαρσῶσιν (Subjunctive) "lest thy pluck up courage"
2. πέρθω, πορθέω 'waste, ravage, sack, get by plunder, take at the sack of a town'
*Psalm 11:3; הרסון/πέρσαν [verb 3rd pl aor ind or part sg aor act neut nom/acc/voc]
*Exodus 15:7; תהרס/πέρσεις or πέρσας [Verb 2nd Aor or fut] or a noun, πόρθησις 'sack of a town'
3. ἤλιος 'sun' (?)
*Joshua 24:30; בתמנת־סרח Sept. ἐν Θαμναθ-ασαχαρα
*Judges 2:9; בתמנת־חרס Sept. ἐν Θαμναθ-αρες
4. ἀγρίας 'savage' (?), Isaiah 19.18
Land of Onias (wiki)
According to Josephus, the temple of Leontopolis existed for 343 years though the general opinion is that this number must be changed to 243. He relates that the Roman emperor Vespasian feared that through this temple Egypt might become a new center for Jewish rebellion and therefore ordered the governor of Egypt, Lupus, to demolish it.[11] Lupus died in the process of carrying out the order; and the task of stripping the temple of its treasures, barring access to it, and removing all traces of divine worship at the site was completed by his successor, Paulinus,[12] which dates the event to c. March - August 73