Onias IV Flees to Egypt and Builds a Jewish Temple at Leontopolis

In Antiquities of the Jews 13.3.1-3 Josephus writes that Onias IV who fled to Egypt after the murder of his father, requested from King Ptolemy VI and Queen Cleopatra II to build a temple in Egypt modelled after the Temple in Jerusalem. He mentioned that this was foretold by the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 19:19 "In that day there shall be an altar to the L-rd in the midst of the land of Egypt"

Josephus writes that the King and Queen replied favourably: "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 G-d herein. So Onias took the place, and built a temple, and an altar to G-d...

"The Onias Papyrus circa 164 BCE that was discovered in the Serapeion near Memphis in the immediate vicinity of Tell el-Yahudiya, confirms correspondence between the parties:"Herodes to Onias (IV) greeting. King Ptolemy (VI) is well and King Ptolemy the brother and Queen Cleopatra (II) the sister and their children, and their affairs are also as usual;"

In 1890 the ancient temple was discovered in the City of Leontopolis or referred to by its Egyptian Arabic name Tell el-Yahudiya which means the “Jewish Mound”. The Hebrew colony, who lived there during the 2nd century BCE practiced their national worship and increased even more when refugees from the oppressions of the Seleucid kings in Judea joined. The community flourished for more than three centuries afterward.