On
(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis.
The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests.
The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave “to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On.” (Genesis 41:45) comp. ver, Genesis41:60 and Genesis46:20 (On is to be remembered not only as the home of Joseph, but as the traditional place to which his far-off namesake took Mary and the babe Jesus in the flight to Egypt.
The two famous obelisks, long called “Cleopatra’s Needles,” one of which now stands in London and the other in Central Park in New York city, once stood before this city, and were seen by the children of Israel before the exodus, having been quarried at Syene on the Nile, erected at On (Heliopolis) by Thothmes III., B.C. 1500, and inscriptions added by Rameses II. (Sesostris) two hundred years later. They were taken to Alexandria by Augustus Caesar A.D.
23, from which they were removed to their present places.—ED.)
the son of Peleth and one of the chiefs of the tribe of Reuben, who took part with Korah, Dathan and Abiram in their revolt against Moses. (Numbers 16:1) (B.C. 1491.) His name does not again appear in the narrative of the conspiracy, nor is he alluded to when reference is made to the final catastrophe.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on On
A city in Lower Egypt, Gn 4140. © 46” (Potiphera, priest of On). In Ezk 30" it occurs again, but punctuated py AVEN (which see). On is the hieroglyphic Anu, the name of Heliopolis. In Jer 43" the city is called Beth- shemesh, ‘ House of the Sun,’ the hieroglyphic Per fia, its sacred name. The name On seems gradually to have fallen into disuse; the Greeks called the place ᾿Ἡλιούπολις, from which the Coptic name is also derived. In the Bible, however, both Gr. and Copt. VSS retained the name On. LXX gives in Jer 43 [Gr. 50] 13 rods στύλους Ἡλίου πόλεως τοὺς ἐν “Qv, and in Ex 1" curiously adds to Pithom and Raamses Ὧν ἢ ἐστιν Ἡλίου πόλις as another city built by the children of Israel. The ruins of Heliopolis lie on the E. edge of the Delta, but out- side the Delta proper, touching the edge of the desert, not far below the forking of the Nile. The city was built partly on the desert, partly on alluvium. Its site is now marked by a considerable mound surrounded by a massive crude brick wall. In the area occupied anciently by the temple there still stands an obelisk, erected by Usertesen…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia