Josiah

Josiah or Yoshiyahu ( יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ "supported of the LORD ", Standard Hebrew Yošiyyáhu , Tiberian Hebrew Yôšiyyāhû ) was king of Judah , and son of Amon and Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. Albright has dated his reign to 640 - 609 BC , while Thiele offers the dates 641 - 609 BC . The chief sources of his reign are 2 Kings 22-23, and 2 Chronicles 34-35; 1 Esdras 1 is clearly a copy of the relevant portion of 2 Chronicles. Archeologists have recovered a number of "scroll-style" stamps dating to his reign. When Josiah was placed on the throne of Judah at the age of eight by the "People of the Land", the international situation was in flux: to the east, the Assyrian Empire was in the beginning stages of its eventual disintegration, the Babylonian Empire had not yet risen to replace it, and Egypt to the west was still recovering from Assyrian rule. This favored the resurgence of the prowess of Jerusalem, which Josiah expressed in the 8th year of rule by his sincere championing of the Yahweh cause. He had the competing cultic objects of Baal and Ashterah in the temple in Jerusalem destroyed, and the bones of their priests burned on their altars -- an extreme act of desecration against these other deities. The author of Chronicles adds to these acts in Jerusalem Josiah's similar destruction of altars and images belonging to competing deities in the cities of the tribes of Manasseh , Ephraim , "and Simeon , as far as Naphtali" (2 Chr. 34:6f). In his 18th regnal year , Josiah again worked on behalf of Yahweh by having the priest Hilkiah take the treasures that had been donated to the temple over the years, and use them to repair the neglect the temple had suffered during the reigns of Amon and Manasseh . While Hilkiah was clearing the treasure room of the temple (2 Chr. 34:14), he is said to have found a scroll described as "a book of the teaching" (2 Kings 22:8) or as "the book of the Law of Yahweh given to Moses" (2 Chr. 34:14). Since De Wette's suggestion in 1805, it has been assumed this was either a copy of the Book of Deuteronomy , or a text that became Deuteronomy as we have it. Hilkiah brought this scroll to Josiah's attention, and the king had it read to a crowd in Jerusalem. He was praised for this piety by one of the prophets , Huldah , the only female prophet mentioned in the Bible, who made the prophecy that all involved would die peacefully (2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 Chr. 34:22-28). The fact this scroll was found during the restoration work is not unusual; the finding of old scrolls or inscriptions while making repairs to temples is an attested occurrence in the ancient near East. In that same 18th year, he celebrated the first Passover "since the days of Judges" (2 Kings 23:22). 2 Chr. 35:1-19 provides the most complete description of the celebration. At some point between this year and his death, Josiah reasserted Judean control in the former territories of the kingdom of Israel , which is recorded in 2 Kings as systematically destroying the cultic objects in various cities, as well as executing the priests of the rival gods. The only exception he made was for the grave of an unnamed prophet he found in Bethel , who had foretold that these religious sites Jeroboam erected would one day be destroyed (23:15-19). There are two versions of Josiah's violent death. The author of Kings tersely remarks that Necho II met Josiah at Megiddo , and killed him the moment the Egyptian king laid eyes on him (22:29f). The author of Chronicles describes Josiah meeting Necho in battle at Megiddo, where Josiah was fatally wounded by Egyptian archers, and was brought back to Jerusalem to die. Some scholars favor the account in Chronicles, because it better fits with what is known of international events. Necho had left Egypt around 609 BC for two reasons: one was to relieve the Babylonian siege of Harran , and the other was to help the king of Assyria , who was defeated by the Babylonians at the Battle of Carchemish . Josiah's actions suggest that he was aiding the Babylonians by engaging the Egyptian army. In either case, the death of this king was a serious blow to his country, as shown by the fact Jeremiah wrote a lament for Josiah's passing which has not survived.

Josiah or Yoshiyahu ( Hebrew : יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ , Modern : Yošiyyáhu , Tiberian : Yôšiyyāhû , "supported of Yahweh ( YHWH )"; ; ; in English ) (c. 649–609 BC) was a king of Judah (641–609 BC) who instituted major reforms. Josiah is credited by some historians with having established or discovered important Jewish scriptures during the Deuteronomic reform that occurred during his rule. Josiah became king of Judah at the age of eight, after the assassination of his father, King Amon , and reigned for thirty-one years, from 641/640 to 610/609 BC. He is also one of the kings mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew .

Josiah or Yoshiyahu ( / dʒ oʊ ˈ s aɪ . ə / or / dʒ ə ˈ z aɪ . ə / ; Hebrew : יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ , Modern : Yoshiyyáhu , Tiberian : Yôšiyyāhû , literally meaning "healed by Yah " or "supported of Yah"; ; ; c. 649–609 BC) was a king of Judah (641–609 BC), according to the Hebrew Bible , who instituted major reforms. Josiah is credited by most historians with having established or compiled important Hebrew Scriptures during the Deuteronomic reform that occurred during his rule. Josiah became king of Judah at the age of eight, after the assassination of his father, King Amon , and reigned for thirty-one years, from 641/640 to 610/609 BC. He is also one of the kings mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew .

Biblical King of Judah For other people of the same name, see Josiah (given name) . Josiah ( / dʒ oʊ ˈ s aɪ . ə / or / dʒ ə ˈ z aɪ . ə / ) or Yoshiyahu was the 16th King of Judah ( c. 640 –609 BCE). According to the Hebrew Bible , he instituted major religious reforms by removing official worship of gods other than Yahweh . Josiah is credited by most biblical scholars with having established or compiled important Hebrew scriptures during the " Deuteronomic reform" which probably occurred during his rule. Josiah became king of the Kingdom of Judah at the age of eight, after the assassination of his father, King Amon . Josiah reigned for 31 years, from 641/640 to 610/609 BCE. Josiah is known only from biblical texts; no reference to him exists in other surviving texts of the period from Egypt or Babylon , and no clear archaeological evidence, such as inscriptions bearing his name, has ever been found. However, a seal bearing the name "Nathan-melech," the name of an administrative official under King Josiah according to 2 Kings 23:11 , dating to the 7th century BCE, was found in situ in an archeological site in Jerusalem. The discoverers believe this seal represents the individual mentioned in 2 Kings 23:11. Additionally, most scholars believe that Josiah existed historically and that the absence of documents is due to few documents of any sort surviving from this period, and to Jerusalem having been occupied, conquered, and rebuilt over thousands of years. Archaeology and the Biblical Record . Israel Exploration Journal . 69 (2): 154– 174. There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).

Biblical King of Judah This article is about the Biblical king. Josiah ( / dʒ oʊ ˈ s aɪ . ə / ) or Yoshiyahu was the 16th king of Judah ( c. 640 –609 BCE). Described as "one of Judah’s most important kings," his reign likely marked a turning point in the development of biblical religion. According to the Hebrew Bible , Josiah ascended to the throne at the age of eight following the assassination of his father, King Amon . He reigned for 31 years, during which he expanded Judah and initiated major religious reforms, centralizing worship in Jerusalem and eliminating the worship of foreign gods. According to the Bible, Josiah's religious reforms began in his eighteenth year as king when the "Book of the Law" (likely an early version of Deuteronomy ) was discovered during repairs to the Temple, and the prophetess Huldah confirmed its authenticity. Following this discovery, Josiah destroyed idols, high places, and sacred poles associated with Canaanite worship , and purged Judah of false priests, mediums, and magicians. His reforms also extended into the territory that had once been part of the northern Kingdom of Israel, which had been absorbed into the Assyrian Empire . Josiah's reforms were not purely religious; they were also politically motivated. By centralizing worship at the Jerusalem Temple and eliminating smaller shrines and high places, Josiah gained control over the offerings and dues that had been managed by the local cultic centers. Scholars argue that he sought to revive the kingdom of David . The biblical account of Josiah's reforms, especially the removal of idol worship and the destruction of high places, has traditionally been considered historically accurate. However, the accuracy of these descriptions is now widely debated among scholars. Despite no direct reference to Josiah in other contemporary texts from Egypt or Babylon, and no inscriptions bearing his name, a seal bearing the name " Nathan-melech ," an official under Josiah mentioned in 2 Kings 23:11 , was discovered in situ in an archeological site in Jerusalem . This seal provides some archaeological support for the biblical account. Most scholars, however, agree on Josiah's historical existence. The influence of Josiah’s reign is evident in the Deuteronomistic History , a collection of biblical texts that evaluate the reigns of Israelite and Judahite kings based on their adherence to the laws of Deuteronomy. Josiah is depicted as the most righteous king in this tradition, the only one to fully implement the reforms outlined in the "Book of the Law." His death in 609 BCE, during a confrontation with Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt , set the stage for the eventual decline of the kingdom. Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture (4th ed.). It was once conventional to accept Josiah's reform at face value, but the question is currently much debated (Albertz 1994: 198–201; 2005; Lohfink 1995; P. Israel Exploration Journal . 69 (2): 154– 174. There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).