Page 69 - Biblical Backgrounds

As you can see in the chart above, Ahaz was a truly wicked king. He made images of Baal and
worshipped in the high places. Because of his wickedness, God allowed the Edomites and Philistines to
attack Judah with success. Also, Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria attached him and was successful in capturing
many Judean cities as well as forcing tribute on Ahaz.

In Judah, Ahaz was followed by Hezekiah (c. 715-687), who tried to throw off Assyrian control and
tribute. Hezekiah welcomed ambassadors of Babylon, who were also scheming to rebel against Assyria,
and gave them a tour of the city, including the wealth in the temple. Hezekiah strengthened Jerusalem’s
walls and dug a tunnel 1,777 ft. through solid rock to carry water from the spring Gihon to the Pool of
Siloam within the city walls, to ensure a water supply during a siege. In 701 Sennacherib of Assyria
attacked Judah, destroying forty-six cities, including Lachish, whose siege is depicted in reliefs from
Sennacherib’s palace in Nineveh. Sennacherib’s records claim that he besieged but did not take
Jerusalem and imposed on Hezekiah, 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

67