Editing Hezekiah (section)

==Biblical narrative==

===Dating of Biblical chronology===
Based on [[Edwin R. Thiele]]'s dating, Hezekiah was born in c. 741 BCE and died in c. 687 BCE at age 54. Thiele and [[William F. Albright]] calculated his regnal years, arriving at figures very close to each other, c. 715/16 and 686/87 [[BCE]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=The Chronology of the Divided Monarchy of Israel |journal=Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1355182 |last=Albright |first=W. F. |issue=100 |pages=16–22 |doi=10.2307/1355182 |year=1945|jstor=1355182 |s2cid=163845613 }}</ref><ref name=reign>See [[William F. Albright]] for the former; for the latter, Edwin Thiele, ''[[The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings]]'', (1st ed.; New York: Macmillan, 1951; 2d ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965; 3rd ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Kregel, 1983). {{ISBN|978-0825438257}}, p. 217.</ref> However, Robb Andrew Young dates his reign to 725–696 BCE{{sfn|Young|2012|p=22}} and [[Gershon Galil]] to 726–697/6.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gershon Galil |title=The Chronology of the Kings of Israel and Judah |date=1996 |isbn=9789004106116 |page=104 |publisher=BRILL |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QkgEaWG0_j4C&q=726}}</ref> The Bible states that the fall of [[Samaria]] happened in Hezekiah's 6th year of reign,<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|18:10}}</ref> implying that he would have become king in ca. 727 BCE. [[Nadav Na'aman]] argues that several late 8th century BCE seal impressions from the Kaufman collection, which mention some places later destroyed during Sennacherib's invasion and thus predate this event, corroborate this date as the inscriptions in the seal impressions include dates that go up to the 26th regnal year.<ref>{{cite book |title=Gabriel: Tell this Man the Meaning of His Vision (Daniel, 8:16): Studies in Archaeology, Epigraphy, Iconography and the Biblical World in Honor of Gabriel Barkay on the Occasion of His 80th Birthday (22 June 2024) |last=Na’aman |first=Nadav |publisher=Archaeological Center Publications |year=2024 |isbn=978-965-7162-25-5 |pages=216–230 |editor-last=Meron |editor-first=Pamela |chapter=Hezekiah’s Years of Reign in Light of the Epigraphic Evidence}}</ref>

===Family and life===
According to the Bible, Hezekiah was the son of King Ahaz and [[Abijah (queen)|Abijah]] (also called Abi),<ref name=je /> daughter of the high priest Zechariah. Hezekiah married [[Hephzibah]],<ref>''Hebrew-English Bible'' {{bibleverse|2|Kings|21:1|HE}}</ref> died from natural causes in c. 687 BCE aged 54, and was succeeded by his son, [[Manasseh of Judah|Manasseh]].<ref>''Hebrew-English Bible'' {{bibleverse|2|Kings|20:21|HE}}</ref>

===Reign over Judah===
[[File:Biblical Jerusalem Wall Remnants.jpg|thumb|Remnants of the [[Broad Wall (Jerusalem)|Broad Wall]] of Biblical Jerusalem, built during Hezekiah's days against [[Sennacherib]]'s siege]]

According to the Biblical narrative, Hezekiah assumed the throne of Judah at age 25 and reigned for 29 years.<ref>''Hebrew-English Bible'' {{bibleverse|2|Kings|18:2|HE}}, {{bibleverse|2|Chronicles|29:1|HE}}</ref> Some writers{{Who|date=November 2015}} have proposed that Hezekiah served as [[Coregency|coregent]] with his father Ahaz for about 14 years. Albright dates his sole reign as 715–687 BCE, and by Thiele as 716–687 BCE (the last ten years being a co-regency with his son Manasseh).<ref name=reign/>

===Restoration of the Temple===
According to the Bible, Hezekiah purified and repaired the [[Solomon's Temple]], purged its idols, and reformed the [[Kohen|priesthood]].<ref name=Spar>{{cite web|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2014/assyria-to-iberia/blog/posts/sennacherib-and-jerusalem|title=Sennacherib and Jerusalem}}</ref> In an effort to abolish idolatry from his kingdom, he destroyed the [[high place]]s (or ''bamot'') and the "bronze serpent" (or ''[[Nehushtan]]''), recorded as being made by [[Moses]], which had become objects of idolatrous worship. In place of the idolatry, Hezekiah centralized the worship of the sole God at the Temple in Jerusalem. Hezekiah also defeated the [[Philistines]], "as far as Gaza and its territory",<ref>''Hebrew-English Bible'', {{bibleverse|2|Kings|18:8|HE}}</ref> and resumed the [[Passover]] pilgrimage and the tradition of inviting the [[Ten Lost Tribes|scattered tribes of Israel]] to take part in a Passover festival.

According to 2 Chronicles 30 (but not the parallel account in 2 Kings), Hezekiah sent messengers to [[Tribe of Ephraim|Ephraim]] and [[Tribe of Manasseh|Manasseh]], inviting them to Jerusalem for a Passover celebration. The messengers were scorned, but a few men of the tribes of [[Tribe of Asher|Asher]], Manasseh, and [[Tribe of Zebulun|Zebulun]] "were humble enough to come" to the city.<ref>2 Chronicles 30:11: [[Jerusalem Bible]]</ref> According to the Biblical account, the Passover was celebrated with great solemnity and such rejoicing as had not been seen in Jerusalem since the days of [[Solomon]].<ref name=je /> The celebration took place during the second month, [[Iyar]], because not enough priests had consecrated themselves in the first month.

Biblical studies writer H. P. Mathys suggests that Hezekiah, being unable to restore the [[United Monarchy]] by political means, used the invitation to the northern tribes as a final religious "attempt to restore the unity of the cult". He notes that this account "is often considered to contain historically reliable elements, especially since negative aspects are also reported on", although he questions the extent to which it may be considered historically reliable.<ref>Mathys, H. P., ''1 and 2 Chronicles'' in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), [https://b-ok.org/dl/946961/8f5f43 The Oxford Bible Commentary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122193211/http://b-ok.org/dl/946961/8f5f43 |date=22 November 2017 }}, p. 302</ref>

===Assyrian invasion===
{{Main|Sennacherib's campaign in the Levant}}
[[File:Assyrian Archers.jpg|thumb|[[Assyria]]n archers]]

In 701 BCE, the recently anointed Assyrian king Sennacherib moved to quash a rebellion in the east of his empire, invading Judah and besieging Jerusalem.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Matty|first=Nazek Khalid|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eo5DQAAQBAJ|title=Sennacherib's Campaign Against Judah and Jerusalem in 701 B.C.: A Historical Reconstruction|publisher=[[Walter de Gruyter]]|year=2016|isbn=978-3-11-044788-0|location=Berlin}}</ref>

The Assyrians recorded that Sennacherib lifted his siege of Jerusalem after Hezekiah paid Sennacherib tribute. The Bible narrates that Hezekiah paid him three hundred [[talent (measurement)|talents]] of silver and thirty of gold as tribute—even sending the doors of the Temple in Jerusalem to produce the promised amount—but, even after the payment was made, Sennacherib renewed his assault on Jerusalem.<ref name=Brazos>[[Peter J. Leithart]], "1 & 2 Kings," ''Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible'', p. 255–256, [[Baker Publishing Group]], [[Grand Rapids, MI]] (2006)</ref>

===Hezekiah's construction===
Knowing that Jerusalem would eventually be subject to a siege, Hezekiah had been preparing for some time by fortifying the capital's walls, building towers, and constructing a tunnel to bring fresh water to the city from a spring outside its walls.<ref name=Spar/> He made at least two major preparations that would help Jerusalem to resist conquest: the construction of the [[Siloam Tunnel]] and construction of the [[Broad Wall (Jerusalem)|Broad Wall]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Frumkin |first1= Amos |last2= Shimron |first2= Aryeh |title= Tunnel engineering in the Iron Age: Geoarchaeology of the Siloam Tunnel, Jerusalem |journal= Journal of Archaeological Science |volume=33 |issue=2 |year= 2006 |pages= 227–237 |doi= 10.1016/j.jas.2005.07.018 |bibcode= 2006JArSc..33..227F |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305440305001688}}</ref><ref>[https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-team-unveils-carbon-dating-techniques-that-may-shore-up-jerusalem-chronology/ New carbon-dating techniques enable 'absolute chronology' of First Temple-era Jerusalem], Gavriel Fiske for ''The Times of Israel'', 30 April 2024.</ref>

===Battle with Sennacherib's army===
{{main|Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem}}
[[File:Peter Paul Rubens 082.jpg|thumb|''[[The Defeat of Sennacherib]]'', oil on panel by [[Peter Paul Rubens]], seventeenth century]]
During the [[Assyrian siege of Jerusalem]], the Bible claims that great losses were inflicted upon the Assyrian army, which Sennacherib's inscriptions do not mention. As [[Jack Finegan]] comments: "In view of the general note of boasting which pervades the inscriptions of the Assyrian kings, ... it is hardly to be expected that Sennacherib would record such a defeat."<ref>See ''Light From the Ancient Past'', 1959, p. 213</ref> The version of the matter that Sennacherib presents, as found inscribed on what is known as the [[Sennacherib's Annals|Sennacherib Prism]] preserved in the [[University of Chicago Oriental Institute]], in part says: "As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke ... Hezekiah himself ... did send me, later, to Nineveh, my lordly city, together with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, ..."<ref>''Ancient Near Eastern Texts'', p. 288</ref>

[[Herodotus]] mentions the [[Military history of the Neo-Assyrian Empire|Assyrian army]] of Sennacherib being overrun by mice when attacking Egypt.<ref>[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2707/2707-h/2707-h.htm The History Of Herodotus], Book 2, Verse 141</ref> [[Josephus]] gives a quote from [[Berossus]] that is quite close to the Biblical account.<ref>Flavius Josephus, ''[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/ant-10.html Antiquities of the Jews]'', Book 10, chapter 1, section 5</ref>

===Death of Sennacherib===
[[File:The Flight of Adrammelech Murch.jpg|thumb|170px|''The Flight of Adrammelech'', Biblical illustration by Arthur Murch]]

Of Sennacherib's death, 2 Kings records:
<blockquote>"It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him [Sennacherib] with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place."<ref>''Hebrew-English Bible'' {{bibleverse|2|Kings|19:37|HE}}</ref></blockquote>

According to Assyrian records, Sennacherib was assassinated in 681 BCE, twenty years after the 701 BCE invasion of Judah.<ref>J. D. Douglas, ed., ''New Bible Dictionary'' (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1965) 1160.</ref> A Neo-Babylonian letter corroborates with the Biblical account, a sentiment from Sennacherib's sons to assassinate him, an event [[Assyriology|Assyriologists]] have reconstructed as historical. The son [[Arda-Mulissu]], who is mentioned in the letter as killing anyone who would reveal his conspiracy, murdered his father in c. 681 BCE,<ref>''The New Oxford Annotated Bible.'' 4th ed. New York: Oxford Press, 2010.</ref> and was most likely the Adrammelech in [[2 Kings]], though Sharezer is not known elsewhere.<ref name=ArchBible>''Archaeological Study Bible''. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. Print.</ref>

Assyriologists posit the murder was motivated by Esarhaddon being chosen as heir to the throne instead of Arda-Mulissu, the next eldest son. Assyrian and Hebrew Biblical history corroborate that [[Esarhaddon]] ultimately succeeded the throne. Other Assyriologists assert that Sennacherib was murdered in revenge for his destruction of Babylon, a city sacred to all Mesopotamians, including the Assyrians.<ref>Georges Roux. ''Ancient Iraq''.</ref>

===Later illness===
[[File:El Rey Ezequías haciendo ostentación de sus riquezas ante los legados del rey de Babilonia. (Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia).jpg|thumb|Hezekiah showing off his wealth to envoys of the Babylonian king, oil on canvas by [[Vicente López Portaña]], 1789]]

Later in his life, the Bible recounts that Hezekiah fell ill. According to the [[Talmud]], this illness arose from a disagreement between him and Isaiah over who should visit whom, as well as Hezekiah's initial reluctance to marry and have children. Ultimately, Hezekiah did marry Isaiah's daughter. Some [[Talmudist]]s also considered that it might have come about as a way for Hezekiah to purge his sins or due to his arrogance in assuming his righteousness.<ref name=je />