Place Old Testament
On
Also known as On =ESV, NIV, KJV, KJV; Heliopolis =NIV; Aven =KJV, City of, Destruction =ESV, KJV; city of, the Sun =NIV, Heliopolis =ESV; temple of the sun =NIV; Beth-shemesh =KJV
On, also known as Heliopolis, was an ancient Egyptian city mentioned in the Bible in connection with Joseph's life and prophetic references to Egypt. Mentioned in 6 verses across 4 books, first at Genesis 41:45.
Why it matters. An ancient Egyptian city, mentioned in relation to Joseph
- Location
- 30.108, 31.338 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About On
On, also known as Heliopolis (Greek for "City of the Sun"), was an ancient Egyptian city located in the Nile Delta region, near modern-day Cairo. It is mentioned several times in the Bible, particularly in relation to the life of Joseph. Joseph married Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, a priest of On (Gen. 41:45, 50; 46:20). This marriage was arranged by Pharaoh and likely served to integrate Joseph into Egyptian society and religious life.
The city of On was a center of worship for the sun god Ra and was known for its temples and religious institutions. In the prophetic books, On is mentioned in the context of God's judgment against Egypt (Ezek. 30:17). Some translations and ancient versions (such as the Septuagint) also reference On in Isaiah 19:18, where it is called the "City of Destruction" or "City of the Sun," depending on the interpretation of the Hebrew text.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 6 verses across 4 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.