Type Ancient location Local time Wednesday 5:35 PM | Website Tell el-Yahudiya Region Lower Egypt | |
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Alternate name Tell el Yehudiye (mound of the Jews) Location Kafr Ash Shubak, Heliopolite nome Weather 18°C, Wind NW at 23 km/h, 40% Humidity | ||
Leontopolis (Egyptian: Ney-ta-hut) is the Greek name for the modern area of Tell el Yehudiye or Tell el-Yahudiya (Egyptian Arabic: Mound of the Jews). It was an ancient city of Egypt in the 13th nome of Lower Egypt (the Heliopolite Nome), on the Pelusiac branch of the Nile.
Contents
This site is known for its distinctive pottery known as Tell el-Yahudiyeh Ware.
Discovery
The site was identified in 1825 by Linant, and earlier was identified by Niebuhr in the late 18th century.
Earthwork enclosures
The site includes some massive rectangular earthwork enclosures of the late Middle Kingdom or Second Intermediate Period. They measure around 515m by 490m, and their purpose is probably defensive.
These earthen walls were sloping and plastered on the outer face, and almost vertical on the inner face. Egyptian parallels for such a structure are lacking. This enclosure is often interpreted as a fortification built by the Hyksos; it is generally known as the "Hyksos Camp".
There are also cemeteries from the Middle Kingdom and later.
A temple and palace of Ramesses II has also been excavated.
Also, there was a palace of Ramesses III with some fine decorations.
Jewish temple
In the reign of Ptolemy VI Philometor (180–145 BC) a temple, modelled after that of Jerusalem, was founded by the exiled Jewish priest Onias IV. The Hebrew colony, which was attracted by the establishment of their national worship at Leontopolis, and which was increased by the refugees from the oppressions of the Seleucid kings in Judea, flourished there for more than three centuries afterwards. After the outbreak of the Jewish War, the Leontopolite temple was closed in the first century CE, amid the general backlash against Judaism.