Page 24 - The Minor Prophets - Student textbook

records claim that he besieged, but did not take Jerusalem and imposed on Hezekiah tribute including
the exact amount of gold mentioned in the parallel account in the Bible. Isaiah assured Hezekiah that
Jerusalem would not be captured, and the Biblical record states that “the angel of the Lord” slew the
besieging Assyrians in the night. Sennacherib returned to Assyria in shame and was murdered by two of
his sons.

Manasseh’s (c. 687-642) tribute is mentioned in Assyrian records (pictured right). He
must have tried to revolt, because the Assyrians carried him a prisoner to Babylon,
which they controlled. The Chronicler sees this as a punishment for Manasseh’s
idolatry. After Manasseh repented and returned to the Lord, the Assyrians allowed
him to return to his throne in Jerusalem.

Josiah (c. 640-609) introduced religious reforms, like Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah
before him, but he was more thorough than they in removing local shrines and
idols. These reforms were based on a book of the law found in the Temple. Because
Assyrian power was waning, Josiah was able to extend his control and the
elimination of idolatry northward as far as Naphtali.

In 609 Pharaoh Neco went through Palestine to aid the Assyrians, who were hard pressed by the
Babylonians. Josiah saw this move as a danger to his kingdom, and he opposed Neco’s army at the pass
of Megiddo in northern Israel. Josiah was defeated and killed, and the prophet Jeremiah composed a
lamentation for him. Neco was delayed by this battle, and the last Assyrian effort to repulse the
Babylonians was defeated.

With the extinguishing of Assyrian power, Neco took over control of Syria-Palestine. Jehoahaz (609),
who succeeded Josiah, probably tried to follow an independent policy; Neco deposed him and took him
captive to Egypt. Neco put his brother Eliakim in his place and gave him the throne name Jehoiakim
(609-598).

After Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
defeated Neco at Carchemish in
northern Syria in 606 BCE, Jehoiakim
became a vassal of Nebuchadnezzar,
and some of the Judean nobility,
including Daniel, were taken to
Babylon. After the Egyptian army
repulsed the Babylonians in 601,
Jehoiakim revolted against Babylon,
contrary to the advice of Jeremiah.
The Babylonians besieged Jerusalem,
and Jehoiakim was taken captive and
died.

Jehoiachin (598-597) succeeded to the
throne of Judah during the siege of
Jerusalem. In 597 the Babylonians finally took the city and seized treasures from the palace and
Temple. Jehoiachin was carried captive to Babylon with thousands of Jewish leaders, soldiers, and
artisans.

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