Hezekiah Research Paper

Given the relative lack of primary resources and archeological remains, the events of Ancient Jerusalem are often difficult to study and tend to rely on biblical accounts and what primary sources have been preserved. For this reason there has been much uncertainty and discussion over the rule of Hezekiah. Among the debate over the exact years of his reign (i.e., whether it was from 727 - 698 BC or from 715 - 686 BC), there too exists disagreements as to whether Hezekiah was in fact one of the great Davidic Kings as he is often portrayed in the Bible (Na'aman, 29). Some researchers have argued that since historians, such as Josephus, speak very little of Hezekiah's reign, wisdom, temperance, or courage, then he must not have been one of the Great Judean rulers as his predecessors: David, and Solomon (Feldman, 598-607). However, upon further analysis of the on goings in Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah as well as his accomplishments as king, the argument arises that Hezekiah was in fact one of the greatest kings of Judah since the time of Solomon. Furthermore, the accomplishments of Hezekiah prove to be evidence that Hezekiah is viewed as the messianic king of 8th century BC Jerusalem due to his reforms to strengthen Judean religion, his developmental changes to improve the infrastructure of Jerusalem, and through his leadership that allowed Jerusalem to withstand the destruction of the Assyrian siege.

In order to understand what sets Hezekiah apart as a leader, it is important to understand the state of affairs when Hezekiah inherited the throne from his father Ahaz. The kingdom of Judah was living in the constant fear of the Assyrian invasion from the north. In an effort to save the city of Jerusalem from destruction, Ahaz...

... middle of paper ...

...alem during a time of crisis and keep it from the destruction during Scennacherib's siege. Although initially disguised as a religious reform, one can argue that Hezekiah's reinstatement of the tithe described in the Book of Chronicles (i.e., 2 Chronicles 31: 4-12) was actually Hezekiah's ploy to accumulate a stock pile of supplies to ensure that Jerusalem would withstand a potential siege. Although tithes of resources were also seen in ancient times, the biblical tradition states that the accumulated resources given by the people of Jerusalem were not sacrificed for to Yahweh but instead stored within the temple's store houses (2 Chronicles 31: 9-12). For this reason, it is possible that the nature of this reform was in fact secular in nature instead of a purely religious reforms because Hezekiah may have been planning to use these resources in a time of need.