Hezekiah and Sennacherib

Image: Sennacherib



In my last post on Hezekiah, I focused on Hezekiah’s attempt at revolt against Sargon II. Probably dissuaded by the preaching of Isaiah, Hezekiah did not participate in the rebellion against Assyria. However, after the death of Sargon in 705 B.C., Hezekiah made preparations for war in an attempt to break away from Assyrian domination.

Assyrian response was not late in coming. After subjugating Babylon around 702 B.C., Sennacherib turned his attention to Syria-Palestine. In 701 Sennacherib marched down the Phoenician coast and easily conquered Sidon. He also was able to subdue Arvad, Byblos, Ashdod, Ammon, Moab, and Edom as these nations reaffirmed their allegiance to Assyria. After establishing his control over these vassal nations, Sennacherib turned his attention to Judah.

Sennacherib’s intent was to conquer Jerusalem. As Sennacherib was approaching Jerusalem, Hezekiah realized that his attempt to stop the Assyrian army would not suceed. While the Assyrian army was besieging Lachish, Hezekiah sent an embassy to Sennacherib in order to surrender himself to the Assyrian king. The Deuteronomic historian describes Hezekiah’s terms of surrender:

“So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: ‘I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me’” (2 Kings 18:14).

Sennacherib imposed a heavy tribute on Hezekiah. Sennacherib demanded from Hezekiah eight hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. In order to pay the tribute, Hezekiah sent to Sennacherib all the silver and gold he could gather, including as much of the tribute as he was able to raise. According to 2 Kings 15-16, Hezekiah gave the Assyrian king all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the royal treasury. He also stripped the gold from the doors of the temple and from the doorposts of his palace and gave them to the king of Assyria. In addition to the silver and gold, Hezekiah also gave Sennacherib precious stones, ivory-inlaid couches, ivory-inlaid chairs, elephant hides, elephant tusks, ebony, boxwood, all kinds of valuable treasures, as well as his daughters, his harem, and his male and female musicians.

Sennacherib described his subjugation of Hezekiah by bragging that he shut up Hezekiah in Jerusalem “like a bird in a cage”:

As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke, I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities, walled forts and to the countless small villages in their vicinity, and conquered (them) by means of well-stamped (earth-)ramps, and battering-rams brought (thus) near (to the walls) (combined with) the attack by foot soldiers, (using) mines, breeches as well as sapper work. I drove out (of them) 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, big and small cattle beyond counting, and considered (them) booty. Himself I made a prisoner in Jerusalem, his royal residence, like a bird in a cage. I surrounded him with earthwork in order to molest those who were leaving his city's gate. His towns which I had plundered, I took away from his country and gave them (over) to Mitinti, king of Ashdod, Padi, king of Ekron, and Sillibel, king of Gaza. Thus I reduced his country, but I still increased the tribute and the Katru-presents (due) to me (as his) overlord which I imposed (later) upon him beyond the former tribute, to be delivered annually. Hezekiah himself, whom the terror-inspiring splendor of my lordship had overwhelmed and whose irregular and elite troops which he had brought into Jerusalem, his royal residence, in order to strengthen (it), had deserted him, did send me, later, to Nineveh, my lordly city, together with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, precious stones, antimony, large cuts of red stone, couches (inlaid) w3ith ivory, nimedu-chairs (inlaid) with ivory, elephant-hides, ebony-wood, box-wood (and) all kinds of valuable treasures, his (own) daughters, concubines, male and female musicians. In order to deliver the tribute and to do obeisance as a slave he sent his (personal) messenger." (ANET pp. 287-8)

The remainder of the Biblical narrative about Sennacherib’s invasion of Jerusalem is debatable. Some scholars believe that 2 Kings 18:13 through 2 Kings 19:37 is related to the Assyrian invasion of 701. Other scholars believe that starting with 2 Kings 18:17 through 2 Kings 19:37, the text refers to Sennacherib’s second campaign against Hezekiah.

After taking tribute from Hezekiah, Sennacherib sent three of his officers (2 Kings 18:17) to demand Hezekiah’s unconditional surrender. The Tartan was the chief military officer of the Assyrian army, the Rabsaris was a senior officer of the king of Assyria, and the Rabshakeh was Sennacherib’s chief diplomat.

The Assyrian officers met with three representatives of Hezekiah near the upper pool and in the presence of the Judean soldiers on the wall. The Rabshakeh presented five reasons why Judah should surrender to Assyria (2 Kings 18:20-25). These were the reasons he presented:

1. Mere words are not good strategy for war (v. 20);
2. Egypt was a “broken reed” which could be counted on for support (v. 21);
3. The people could not count of Yahweh because he was angry with Hezekiah since he had destroyed his altars on the high places (v. 23);
4. The people of Jerusalem could not supply two thousand riders even when given horses by Assyria (v. 24);
5. The invasion of Judah was sanctioned by Yahweh himself (v. 25).

Hezekiah’s officers recognized that their situation was hopeless. They requested the Rabshakeh to speak in Aramaic rather than the language of Judah. The Assyrian officer refused and directed his speech to the soldiers on the wall to emphasize their desperate situation and to undermine their morale.

When the Judean officers returned to Hezekiah to report the words of the Assyrian officer, Hezekiah became deeply distressed. He tore his garments and dressed himself in sackcloth, a garment used to mourn the dead and to express profound distress. Hezekiah sent a delegation to the prophet Isaiah to enquire of the Lord. Isaiah encouraged the king with a message of hope in which the prophet affirmed Yahweh’s willingness to deliver Jerusalem. The Lord would put a spirit in the king of Assyria so that he would hear a rumor and return to his own land where he would be killed (2 Kings 19:7).

In response to Isaiah’s words of reassurance, Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh. In his prayer, Hezekiah appealed to the Lord with words associated with Israel’s wars of deliverance (see 1 Samuel 4:4). Hezekiah asked Yahweh to save his people so that all the world would know that he alone was God. God answered Hezekiah’s prayer through an oracle pronounced by the prophet Isaiah. In it Yahweh promised that the king of Assyria would not come into Jerusalem and that he would save the city. Because of Hezekiah’s faith and trust in Yahweh, he and Jerusalem were delivered from the Assyrian threat.

The deliverance of Jerusalem came through a divine intervention. An angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrians in their camp and as a result, Sennacherib went home to Nineveh without destroying Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:35-36). According to Herodotus, a Greek historian, mice destroyed the leather equipment of Sennacherib’s soldiers and a plague caused the high number of deaths. The miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem gave rise to the doctrine of the inviolability of Zion, the view that Yahweh was the defender of Jerusalem and of the Davidic dynasty. After Sennacherib returned home, he was assassinated by two of his sons and he was succeeded by Asharhaddon.

As mentioned before, scholars differ on their interpretation of the events recorded in the eighteenth and nineteenth chapters of 2 Kings. Those who propose the “one campaign theory” believe that the events recorded above refer to Sennacherib’s campaign against Hezekiah which occurred in 701 B.C. This argument is based on Assyrian records which do not mention a campaign by Sennacherib into Palestine after 701 B.C.

The “two campaign theory” is discussed by John Bright in his book A History of Israel (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1981), pp. 298-309. This view proposes that the text refers to two different campaigns against Hezekiah. 2 Kings 18:13-16 refers to Sennacherib’s first campaign which took place in 701 B.C. After receiving tribute from Hezekiah, Sennacherib returned home.

According to Bright, 2 Kings 18:17 through 19:37 refers to a second campaign, probably in 688 B.C. The two campaign theory addresses the problem of Sennacherib sending an embassy to Hezekiah after receiving Hezekiah’s tribute. It also explains the appearance of the Egyptian king Tirhakah mentioned in 2 Kings 19:9, since according to Egyptian record, Tirhakah began to reign in 690 B.C. Those who reject the two campaign theory, say that the presence of Tirhakah in 2 Kings 19:9 is an anachronism. Although scholars are divided on this issue, I believe the two campaign theory provides a better explanation of 2 Kings 18-19 and takes seriously the mention of Tirhakah in 2 Kings 19:9.

My last post on Hezekiah will deal with his illness and his recovery. Hezekiah began his kingship as an Assyrian vassal and notwithstanding his effort at independence from Assyrian control, he ended his kingship as an Assyrian vassal. However, because of Hezekiah’s piety and trust in Yahweh, Yahweh delivered Jerusalem and preserved the Davidic dynasty, at least for a while. In spite of the conquest and destruction of several Judean cities and the deportation of many people to Assyria, the encouraging note in this helpless situation is that according to Isaiah, God had not given up on Judah yet.

Other posts on Hezekiah:

1. Hezekiah , King of Judah

2. Hezekiah’s Religious Reforms

3. Hezekiah’s Political and Economic Reforms

4. Hezekiah and the Assyrian Crisis


Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Hezekiah, Isaiah, Sennacherib

Vessels of Papyrus

In my post on Hezekiah and the Assyrian Crisis, I wrote that at the occasion of the Ashdod rebellion, when Egypt, Judah, and several Philistines cities conspired to revolt against Assyrian imperialism, the king of Egypt sent ambassadors to Hezekiah to invite him to join in their rebellion against Sargon, king of Assyria.

According to the prophet Isaiah, the messengers from Egypt came “in vessels of papyrus” (Isaiah 18:2). Egyptian papyrus was a plant which grew on the banks of the Nile, and from which the word “paper”originated.

Papyrus roots were used as firewood and for making various utensils, objects, and even paper. The papyrus plant was also used to make boxes, chests, and boats. In addition, papyrus was used in the manufacture of sails, mats, clothes, bedding, and ropes.

Click here to see a vessel of papyrus.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Archaeology, Egypt, Hezekiah, Papyrus

Hezekiah and the Assyrian Crisis

The events related to the Assyrian invasion of Judah and the siege of Jerusalem are difficult to determine because the timing and sequence of events as they appear in the book of 2 Kings is difficult to interpret. Assyrian records provide supplementary information that helps determine what happened before, during, and after the invasion of Jerusalem. An item of controversy is the sequence of events related to Sennacherib’s campaign in 701 B.C. This post will address some of the political issues related to Hezekiah’s rebellion against Assyria. My next post will deal with Sennacherib’s invasion and the siege of Jerusalem.

When Hezekiah became king of Judah in 715 B.C., Assyria was the dominant power in the Ancient Near East. During his reign, all of Hezekiah’s actions, his political and economic reforms, and his alliances with Egypt were preparation for his revolt against Assyria.

The siege of Samaria began under the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V (726-722). However, he died just before the city was conquered. The conquest of the Northern Kingdom was finished by Sargon II. When Sargon became king in 722, he incorporated Samaria into the Assyrian empire. He deported 27,290 citizens of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria.

Under Ahaz, Judah had become a protectorate of Assyria and paid tribute to their overlord every year. During the reign of Sargon, Judah continued as a satellite state of Assyria and Hezekiah continued paying the yearly tribute.

When Sargon became king, many nations controlled by Assyria revolted against the empire. Sargon’s attention was required somewhere else, leaving Palestine free to recover somewhat politically. Babylon, under Merodach-baladan (2 Kings 20:12, Isaiah 39:1) revolted against Assyria (720 B.C.).

With the help of the Elamites, Babylon broke free from Assyrian control for twelve years. Urartu, the Assyrian enemy to the north, revolted in 719 B.C. Phrygia, a city in Asia Minor, and Carchemish, a Hittite city in North Syria, revolted against Assyria at this time. Sargon invaded Asia Minor and deported most of the population to other parts of the empire. The Medes, a group of people from the Iranian plateau, revolted in 715 B.C.

Because of political instability in his empire, Sargon was unable to embark on any significant campaign into Palestine for several years following the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C. In 716 B.C. Piankhi, an Ethiopian king, became king of Egypt. Piankhi's policy was to unify Egypt and to extend Egypt's control to Asia. With the presence of Egypt in Asia, Assyrian vassals in Palestine turned to Egypt for help against Assyria.

Several of the Philistine cities revolted against Assyria in 714 B.C. in what is commonly known as the Ashdod Rebellion. Ashdod withheld its tribute and other Philistine towns also rebelled. Egypt had political interests in this rebellion. According to Assyrian documents, Judah, Edom, and Moab were invited to participate in the rebellion.

Hezekiah was tempted to join the alliance and may have discussed this possibility with Egypt since Isaiah says that Egypt sent ambassadors in what the prophet sarcastically called “vessels of papyrus” (Isaiah 18:1-2). Both the desire for political freedom from Assyria and the requirement of paying the annual tribute to Assyria were strong motivating factors that almost prompted Hezekiah to join this rebellion.

The prophet Isaiah strongly opposed the revolt against Assyria (see Isaiah 20:1-4). According to the text, Isaiah walked around naked and barefoot to demonstrate what would happen to Egypt and Ethiopia and the foolishness of trusting in them for help. Although the text is silent on Hezekiah’s decision, it is clear that he listened to Isaiah’s words and did not participate in the revolt for when Sargon crushed the revolt, Judah did not suffer any reprisal from Assyria.

After Sargon’s decisive demonstration of force, Hezekiah made no other overt act of rebellion against Assyria. As long as Sargon ruled, Judah remained a vassal and paid the annual tribute to Assyria. However, while Hezekiah continued paying the annual tribute, he quietly began his preparations for revolt.

These preparations for a possible revolt included a concerted effort to arm Judah, to prepare for war, and to plan against a siege of Jerusalem. As discussed in a previous post, Hezekiah prepared for his revolt against Assyria by making weapons and setting combat commanders over the people, by preparing storehouses for the harvest, stalls for the animals, by rebuilding the broken walls of Jerusalem, by strengthening the Millo, and by making a water tunnel to bring water into Jerusalem.

In 705 the opportunity for rebellion against Assyria became a possibility. Sargon was killed in a battle and his death motivated several of the vassal nations to revolt against Assyrian domination. When Sennacherib, Sargon’s son, ascended the throne, he immediately took steps to deal with vassal rebellion against his kingdom. Merodach-baladan had revolted against Assyria and regained his throne in Babylon. With Elamite help, Merodach-baladan fought against Assyria until 702 when Sennacherib was able to subdue Babylon. At the same time Sennacherib was fighting against Babylon, rebellion broke out in the west and it was into this situation that Judah was eventually drawn.

It was in the midst of this political upheaval that Merodach-baladan sent messengers to Hezekiah to congratulate him for recovering from his illness (2 Kings 20: 12-19; Isaiah 39:1-8). It is possible that the real purpose of the Babylonian embassy was to gain Judah’s assistance in the Babylonian struggle against the Assyrian stronghold.

Scholars are not in agreement with the purpose of the Babylonian visit. However, since Merodach-baladan was fighting against Sennacherib and Assyrian imperialism, it is possible that he wanted to enlist potential allies or at the very least promote diversionary rebellions to occupy Sennacherib’s attention which would then relieve Assyrian pressure from the Babylonian army.

According to the Deuteronomic historian, sometime after Sargon’s death in 705 B. C., Hezekiah withheld his tribute from Assyria: “He rebelled against the king of Assyria, and would not serve him” (2 Kings 18:7). This act of defiance was an open declaration of rebellion against Assyria.

Hezekiah took action against some of the Philistine cities that refused to join in the revolt (2 Kings 18:8). According to Sennacherib’s inscription, the people of Ekron deposed their king, who was loyal to the Assyrians, and delivered him to Hezekiah who kept him captive in Jerusalem.

Hezekiah sent an embassy to Egypt asking for help. Isaiah opposed this alliance with Egypt and called it “a covenant with death” (Isaiah 28:15). He warned against the revolt by declaring that an alliance with Egypt would bring disaster to Judah:

“Oh, rebellious children, says the LORD, who carry out a plan, but not mine; who make an alliance, but against my will, adding sin to sin; who set out to go down to Egypt without asking for my counsel, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt; Therefore the protection of Pharaoh shall become your shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt your humiliation” (Isaiah 30:1-3 NRSV).

While Isaiah was successful in stopping Hezekiah from revolting against Sargon during the Ashdod Rebellion in 714 B.C., he was unsuccessful in stopping Hezekiah from revolting against Sennacherib. Scholars have suggested that Hezekiah’s revolt against Assyria came as a result of his illness. Since Hezekiah became very sick and was at the point of death (2 Kings 20:1), it is possible that he became too incapacitated to handle the duties of the kingdom and that his princes and nobles took the initiative to enter into this alliance with Egypt.

It is also possible that the anti-Assyrian faction in his government pressured him to revolt against Assyria and that he was the one who decided to establish the alliance with Egypt. Regardless of the motivation behind the alliance with Egypt, the decision to revolt had been made and there was nothing else to do but to prepare for the coming of Sennacherib and the siege of Jerusalem.

Other posts on Hezekiah:

1. Hezekiah , King of Judah

2. Hezekiah’s Religious Reforms

3. Hezekiah’s Political and Economic Reforms


Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Assyria, Hezekiah, Sargon

Hezekiah’s Political and Economic Reforms

At the same time Hezekiah was reforming the religious life of Judah, encouraging the people to worship and serve Yahweh only, he was also embarking on a program to reorganize the government and improve the economic conditions of Judah. Many of these reforms were likely done in preparation for his revolt against Assyrian domination. However, Hezekiah’s economic reforms were a genuine effort at improving the socio-economic conditions of the people of Judah.

Some of Hezekiah’s political reforms were part of his effort to arm Judah, to prepare for war, and to plan for an eventual siege of Jerusalem. According to the Chronicler, Hezekiah repaired the broken walls of Jerusalem, built defensive towers on the walls, and reinforced the Millo, the defensive rampart of Jerusalem.

Hezekiah also built a second wall of defense around the city which extended the city boundaries. This second wall may have been a defensive measure to enclose the city’s water supply within the walls of Jerusalem. However, archaeological evidence indicates that there was a sizable increase in Jerusalem’s population during the time of Hezekiah, possibly due to the migration of people from the Northern Kingdom to Jerusalem before, during, and after the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C. This increase in population may have been a motivating factor in extending the wall around the city.

Hezekiah made many weapons and shields to supply the army with the armament needed for the war (2 Chronicles 32:5). He set military commanders over the people. Sennacherib’s account of his campaigns against Hezekiah indicates that Hezekiah had both regular and irregular troops under his command. This information indicates that Hezekiah’s army was composed of both the national militia and of foreign mercenaries. According to the Chronicler, Hezekiah gathered his officers and the people together at the public square in front of the city gate and encouraged the people with these words:

“Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him; for there is one greater with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles” (2 Chronicles 32:7-8).

Hezekiah’s economic reforms and great wealth are seen by the Chronicler as evidence of God’s blessings (2 Chronicles 32:29). Hezekiah prepared for a possible siege by building storehouses to hold surpluses of wine and oil. He also built stalls for his livestock. This description of Hezekiah’s wealth may reflect his achievements as a king honored by God but may have also another purpose. These economic reforms and building projects were probably designed to provide stockpiles of food for distribution in a time of shortage, such as during a siege.

One of Hezekiah’s greatest engineering achievements was also a step he took to prepare Jerusalem for a possible siege. Jerusalem’s main water source was the Gihon spring, a perennial fountain located outside the walls of the city. During a time of siege, the city’s water supply could be cut off by the besieging army, thus depriving the inhabitants of the city and the city defenders of drinking water. This problem is apparent in the reference to the aqueduct of the upper pool mentioned in Isaiah 7:3, which indicates that Ahaz was taking steps to protect the city’s water supply in preparation for a possible siege of Jerusalem during the Syro-Ephraimite war.

Hezekiah’s aim was to bring water from the Gihon spring and at the same time conceal the source of water from his enemies. In order to build a tunnel and bring water into the city (cf. 2 Kings 20:20), Hezekiah’s engineers cut an aqueduct that is more than 1700 feet long (about 500 meters long), underneath the walls of Jerusalem, through solid rock, in order to bring water from the Gihon spring into the Pool of Siloam. The Gihon Spring was concealed and the cave was sealed up in order to protect the source of water. An inscription written in ancient Hebrew script and found on the wall of the tunnel in 1880 confirms the Biblical account of this engineering achievement and describes how the two teams of hewers working from opposite directions literally met in the middle.

The passage reads (ANET p. 321):

[...when] (the tunnel) was driven through. And this was the way in which it was cut through:- While [ . . . ] (were) stil [ . . . ] axe(s), each man toward his fellow, and while there were still three cubits to be cut through, [there was heard] the voice of a man calling to his fellow, for there was an overlap in the rock on the right [and on the left]. And when the tunnel was driven through, the quarrymen hewed (the rock), each man toward his fellow, axe against axe; and the water flowed from the spring toward the reservoir for 1,200 cubits, and the height of the rock above the head(s) of the quarrymen was 100 cubits.

In addition to military improvements in preparation for a conflict with Assyria, Hezekiah also implemented other reforms which were designed to improve Judah’s economy and promote a more efficient government.

One of these changes was his attempt to introduce a system of tax collection and the development of a royal storage system for collecting tax in kind. Excavations at several sites in Judah have uncovered large storage jars containing a special type of seal impression on them. Hundreds of these seal impressions have been unearthed almost exclusively in Judean sites. The most popular of these seal impressions are those that contain the Hebrew inscription lmlk, a word which means “belonging to the king.” The seal impressions also include the name of four places: Hebron, Socoh, Ziph and mmsht, a name that remains unidentified.

According to J. Maxwell Miller and John H. Hayes, A History of Ancient Israel and Judah, 2nd ed. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006), p. 413,

“The use of these impressions was introduced under Hezekiah and is evidence for the administrative system used during his reign. The jars were part of a system of tax collection in kind or a royal storage program. The material collected in these containers was sent to four district centers for storage, redistribution, and administrative/military usage. These centers were Socoh for the Shephelah region, Ziph for the Negeb, Hebron for the southern hill country and mmsht for Jerusalem and the northern Judean hill country.”

There is some debate concerning the dating of lmlk seals. However, most archaeologists believe that they come from the time of Hezekiah and are related to his economic reforms. The lmlk seals indicate that Hezekiah developed an organized administrative system for the distribution and storage of supplies for use in times of peace and war.

According to John Bright, A History of Israel, 4th. ed. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000), p. 284, it is possible that the lmlk seals reflect an attempt at standardizing weights and measures in order to discourage dishonesty in trade. Bright also suggests that Hezekiah may have developed a system of guilds to protect the craftsmen from exploitation.

Hezekiah’s political and economic reforms indicate that there was genuine evidence of prosperity in Judah at the close of the eighth century B.C. Evidence of this prosperity, at least from Hezekiah’s perspective, may be seen in the Biblical account of the Babylonian envoys’ visit to Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:12-19). Merodach-Baladan, King of Babylon, sent envoys to Hezekiah at the time of his illness, probably as part of the Babylonian’s plan to revolt against Assyria. Hezekiah welcomed the Babylonian envoys and “showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses” (2 Kings 20:13).

Hezekiah’s religious and economic reforms and his military preparations occurred prior to the invasion of Sennacherib in 701 B.C. The accumulation of weapons, the reorganization of the military personnel as well as the building of walls, fortifications, and the water tunnel would have taken time and appear to have been done in preparation for a revolt in his attempt at independence from Assyrian control.


Other posts on Hezekiah:

1. Hezekiah , King of Judah

2. Hezekiah’s Religious Reforms


Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Assyria,Gihon Spring, Hezekiah,lmlk

Hezekiah’s Religious Reforms

Hezekiah’s religious reforms are described in detail in 2 Chronicles 29-31. At the time Hezekiah began his reforms, both the political and religious climate in Judah were favorable to a return to Yahweh. The prophets Amos and Hosea had been preaching reform in the Northern Kingdom before its demise in 722 B.C., while Isaiah and Micah had been preaching a similar message in the Southern Kingdom, warning the leadership of Judah that they could not survive if they continued oppressing the people and promoting the religious practices that were offensive to the religion of Yahweh.

With the fall of Samaria a few years before Hezekiah became king of Judah, the call to reform was taken more seriously in Judah. It was for this reason that the political and religious actions taken by Hezekiah were enthusiastically supported by many reform-minded people in Jerusalem.

Hezekiah’s reforms came at a crucial time in Judah’s history. The fall of Samaria provided the tangible evidence that the oracles of doom proclaimed by the prophets against Israel for over a century were indeed warnings from Yahweh. Israel had been severely judged. Now, Judah had to reform or face the same fate as the Northern Kingdom.

According to the elders of Judah who lived in the days of Jeremiah, Micah’s prophecy made a profound impact on Hezekiah, leading him to initiate his religious reforms. Micah proclaimed the destruction of the temple and the devastation of Jerusalem:

“Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert all equity, who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with wrong. Its heads give judgment for a bribe, its priests teach for hire, its prophets divine for money; yet they lean upon the LORD and say, ‘Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No evil shall come upon us.’ Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height” (Micah 3:9 -12).

According to the elders of Judah, Hezekiah feared the Lord and entreated his favor. Because of Hezekiah’s repentance, the Lord relented of the evil which he had pronounced against the city and against the people (Jeremiah 26:19).

According to the Chronicler, the first action Hezekiah took at the beginning of his reform was to open the doors of the house of the Lord and begin repairing the temple. This happened on the first month of the first year of his reign (2 Chronicles 29:3).

As long as Sargon was alive, Hezekiah could not openly revolt against Assyria. He could not renounce the Assyrian gods immediately after his accession to the throne because this would be considered an act of open rebellion against Assyrian control. Hezekiah began his reform by purifying Judah’s religious practices. Hezekiah was able to take these steps toward independence because, according to Assyrian records, Sargon was preoccupied with rebellions in the northern part of his empire. For this reason, Sargon was not able to make another campaign in Palestine until 712 B.C.

It is possible that Hezekiah began his religious reforms in the first year of his reign as the Chronicler suggests. Hezekiah began his reforms with minor changes in the Temple. Thus, as long as Hezekiah paid his annual tribute to Assyria, Sargon would not see the need to investigate closely the religious activities or other religious events taking place in Judah. It is impossible to know whether Hezekiah removed the Assyrian gods at the beginning of the reform, however, the repair, cleansing, and purification of the temple were the initial steps taken at the beginning of the reform.

It seems that the reforms of Hezekiah began with the centralization of the worship in Jerusalem. The words of the Assyrian ambassador imply that Hezekiah made an attempt at closing the places of worship outside Jerusalem. The Assyrian ambassador accused Hezekiah of eliminating the high places and the foreign altars and forcing the people of Judah and Jerusalem to worship only at the altar of God in Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:22).

The act of purging the cult of pagan altars and high places and the centralization of the worship of Yahweh in Jerusalem carried both religious and political overtones. By making the people worship in Jerusalem, the priests in the temple would be able to supervise the religious activities of the people and eliminate the syncretistic practices that took place in the local shrines. In addition, the religious pilgrimages to Jerusalem also would promote the people’s allegiance to the Davidic covenant and to the Davidic king. Hezekiah sought to revive the old Davidic rule by seeking to bring the Northern tribes under the control of the king in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:1-12).

It is possible that the repairs of the temple included overlaying the doors and doorposts with gold. According to 2 Kings18:16, during the siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C., Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord and from the doorposts in order to pay his tribute to Sennacherib, king of Assyria.

Hezekiah’s reforms included the destruction of the local pagan shrines as well as the images that were in these shrines. According to 2 Kings 18:4, Hezekiah “removed the high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the sacred pole. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it; it was called Nehushtan.” The destruction of the bronze snake that Moses had made for the Israelites during their sojourn in the desert (Numbers 21:4-9) indicates that by the time of Hezekiah, the bronze serpent had become an object of worship.

At the beginning of his reforms, after the repair and purification of the temple, the people of Judah prepared for the celebration of the Passover. Hezekiah invited those Israelites from the Northern Kingdom who were living in the Assyrian province of Samaria (Samarina) to join the Judeans in the celebration of the Passover. Hezekiah’s effort at bringing the remnant of the Northern Kingdom may have been an attempt at reuniting the two nations and restoring the Davidic dynasty, thus making Jerusalem and the temple the focus of the religious life of a revitalized Israel.

While some people may have come from Galilee, the effort to bring the people from the tribes of the North was unsuccessful. There are several reasons why Hezekiah’s attempt at including the Northern tribes was unsuccessful. First, it is possible that the ancient problem of tribal rivalry and jealousy may have prevented some of the Israelites who lived in the former Northern Kingdom from coming to Jerusalem.

Second, the fear of Assyrian reprisal may have played an important role in preventing the people from the north from coming to Jerusalem. The Assyrians had restored and reorganized the Bethel sanctuary in order to provide a place of worship for the remnant of the Northern tribes.

Third, the people now living in the province of Samaria were Assyrian citizens, thus, a religious pilgrimage to Jerusalem could be construed as an attempt at rebellion against Assyrian control, an act which could bring severe punishment upon the people.

Following the celebration of the Passover in Jerusalem, the people went throughout the cities of Judah and tore down the pillars, the Asherah poles, the altars, and the high places associated with pagan worship.

Hezekiah’s reform also included the reorganization of the work of the priests and the Levites. Hezekiah made a personal contribution for the sacrifices of the burnt offerings, but he asked the people who lived in Jerusalem to bring their tithes and offerings to provide for the needs of the religious personnel in the temple so they could devote themselves to the service of the Lord. The people responded with enthusiasm and gave generously and liberally. The king and religious leaders prepared storage rooms and delegated some of the Levites to collect and distribute the gifts.

Hezekiah was successful in repairing and cleansing the temple and in centralizing the worship of Yahweh in Jerusalem. His reforms included the celebration of the Passover, the destruction of the high places of worship, and the removal of pagan cult objects, but in the long run, his reforms were not permanent. His son Manasseh became a loyal vassal of Assyria and in the process of declaring his fealty to his Assyrian overlord, Manasseh reintroduced several of the pagan practices Hezekiah had eliminated. During the long reign of Manasseh, the people of Judah returned to their idolatrous ways. This situation continued until the days of Josiah, king of Judah, who made another attempt at religious reforms in Judah.

To be continued.

Part 1: Hezekiah , King of Judah

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Assyria, Hezekiah

Hezekiah , King of Judah

Today I begin a series of studies on Hezekiah, king of Judah. Hezekiah ruled during a turbulent period in the history of the Southern Kingdom. In upcoming posts I will study the kingship of Hezekiah. The posts will deal with the historical situation in Judah at the time Hezekiah assumed the throne. The studies also will deal with his religious reforms, his attempt at political and economic reforms, his attempt at independence from Assyrian control and the crisis that ensued, his illness, and his relationship with the prophets Isaiah and Micah.

The editors of the Deuteronomic history, the biblical section that includes the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, wrote that Hezekiah, King of Judah, “trusted in the LORD the God of Israel; so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him” (2 Kings 18:5).

In fact, according to the Deuteronomic historians, from the division of the united monarchy in 922 B.C. to the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C., there were only four kings in Judah who were considered to be good kings, kings who upheld the religious traditions of the worship of Yahweh. Hezekiah is considered one of these four. No king of the Northern Kingdom was deemed to be a good and faithful king, not even Jehu, a faithful Yahwist.

Hezekiah (715-687 B.C.) became king of Judah at a time marked by religious and political crises. Inheriting the kingdom from his father Ahaz, Hezekiah attempted to overthrow Assyrian control and lead Judah back to freedom and independence. However, in the end, the attempt for independence failed.

Hezekiah’s Accession to the Throne

Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz, King of Judah. His mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he began his reign and he reigned for twenty-nine years (2 Kings 18:2).

The precise date for Hezekiah’s accession to the throne is debated because of the conflicting information provided in the biblical record. For instance, 2 Kings 18:10 declares that Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom, fell in the sixth year of Hezekiah’s reign: “In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.”

Samaria was conquered by Sargon II in 722 B.C. thus, the sixth year of Hezekiah and the beginning of his reign would be 728/7. However, 2 Kings 18:13 indicates that Sennacherib’s invasion of Jerusalem occurred during the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign: “In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.”

Since Assyrian records indicate that Sennacherib’s invasion took place in 701 B.C., then the accession of Hezekiah to the throne took place in 715 B. C., a date which would place the fall of Samaria during the reign of King Ahaz, Hezekiah’s father. It is possible that Hezekiah ruled as co-regent with Ahaz for fourteen years before becoming king. The reference in 2 Kings 19:9 concerning the confrontation between Sennacherib and Tirhakah, the king of Egypt who ascended the throne in 690, confirms Hezekiah’s 29 years’ reign.

The political situation in the Ancient Near East at the time Hezekiah became king of Judah was very tense because of the presence of Assyria as an imperial power in the region.

Damascus, the capital of the Aramean state, was conquered by Tiglath-pileser III in 732 B.C. According to John Bright, A History of Israel (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1981), p. 275, Tiglath-pileser ravaged the city, killed the leadership of the Aramean state, deported many of the city’s inhabitants to Kir, and the Aramean state was incorporated into the Assyrian empire and it was divided into four Assyrian provinces (see 2 Kings 16:9). The Northern Kingdom was also conquered by Assyria and had become an Assyrian province.

Because of the threat posed by Assyria, the population of Judah was divided between those who were pro-Assyria and those who were anti-Assyria. 2 Chronicles 28:7 suggests that an unsuccessful effort was made to assassinate Ahaz, either before or during the Syro-Ephraimite war.

The Syro-Ephraimite War (2 Kings 16:5-20; Isaiah 7:1-17), Judah’s war against Syria and Israel, forced Judah to request military help from Assyria, (2 Chronicles 28:6-8). Judah had to deplete the royal treasury in order to pay Assyria for help (2 Kings 16:8). Because of the policies of Ahaz during the Syro-Ephraimite War, Judah had become a vassal of Assyria and was required to pay an annual tribute which was a great burden on the nation’s economic resources. Thus, as a vassal, Judah was now within the sphere of influence of the Assyrian empire.

As a result of Ahaz’s struggle with the Israelite-Syrian coalition, the Edomites invaded Judean territory and recovered Elath. According to 2 Chronicles 28:17, some Judean captives were taken at the time of the invasion. The loss of the port of Ezion-geber was an additional economic burden on Judah because with the loss of the port, Judah lost an important trade route.

Additionally, the Philistines raided the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah and conquered several cities, including Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo settled in them (2 Chronicles 28:18).

Another factor that made an impact on Hezekiah’s reign was the religious life of Judah. Since the days of Ahaz, the religious situation of Judah had deteriorated. As a vassal of Assyria, Judah probably was required to pay homage to the Assyrian gods.

Ahaz introduced a copy of the Assyrian altar into the temple of Jerusalem (2 Kings 16:10-20). Ahaz also introduced Assyrian pagan practices (2 Chronicles 28:23). According to the Biblical text, Ahaz practiced many other pagan rituals: child sacrifice (2 Kings 16:3), he worshiped on high places (2 Kings 16:4), and he also practiced solar worship (2 Kings 23:12; 20:8-11). So, when Hezekiah became king of Judah he recognized the need for political and religious reforms in Judah.

To be continued.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Assyria, Hezekiah

From Text to Sermon: Isaiah 9:1-7

This study of Isaiah 9:1-7 is a continuation of a series of studies on preaching from the Old Testament. These studies are derived from a series of Advent sermons preached at Trinity Baptist Church of Chicago, the church where I have served as pastor since 1989.

The Text

1 But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Historical Background

In 734 B.C. Assyria invaded the Northern Kingdom and conquered several cities in Israel (2 Kings 15:29). As a result, many people were deported to Assyria and Israel became a vassal state.

The deportation of the Northern tribes produced a crisis of faith in which the people were confronted with the possibilities that God might have abandoned them. This was the worst of times and the best of times. However, the worst of times, a time of “gloom,” of “anguish,” and of “contempt” became the best of times, a time of joy and rejoicing.

During this crisis in their lives, many Israelites doubted God’s goodness and God’s power to save. Some wondered if God’s people would ever again find peace and unity, while others believed that some day God would bring the restoration of the nation under the leadership of a new ruler, a ruler who would be a descendant of David.

The words of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 9:1-7) are a confession of faith in God and in the future of God’s people. According to the prophet, God would fulfill his promise to David and raise another leader who would bring redemption to Israel. This new king would bring salvation to a hopeless people and liberate them from their enemies and Israel would forever live in peace under the leadership of this new David.

Exegesis

V. 1. The people of Zebulun and Naphtali who lived in the region of Galilee were the first ones to suffer the oppression of the enemy and they would be the first ones to experience the salvation of God.

Galilee of the nations. This region was called “Galilee of the nations” because of the many non-Jews who lived in the area. The prophet uses the words gloom, anguish, and contempt to describe the feelings of the people. These were the people who needed the good news the prophet was proclaiming. These same words also reflect the needs of people today who need the good news of Christ’s birth. He was born and died to save people who face this kind of despondency in their lives.

V. 2. The people’s oppressive experience produced a “darkness of the soul.” The people are pictured as walking in darkness because they were deprived of the worship God in their native country. God is light and those who live without him are in darkness (1 John 1:5-6). Some people were forced to worship Assyrian gods; others were influenced by the non-Jews who lived among them. The expression “deep darkness” is the same word used in Psalm 23:4: the valley of the shadow of death (ESV). The experience of the people in Galilee could be compared to a person who faces the anguish of death.

The people who lived in the time of Christ had nothing good to say about this region: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46; see also Matthew 26:69; Mark 14:70). However, it was in this area where Jesus lived and grew up. Jesus was born among people who were despised and who had no hope. Jesus is the hope of the hopeless.

The light that was shining upon the people was a symbol of life, salvation, and joy. Something happened in those days that produced hope in the lives of people, and that hope was reflected in their great joy (v.3). The light that was shining upon them was the presence of God among his people.

V. 3. The first part of the verse probably speaks of the increased Gentile population in Galilee. All of them rejoiced in what God was doing. You have increased its joy. The reading of the King James Version should be rejected here: not increased the joy. The reading of the KJV is based on a secondary reading of the text.

God is the one doing the work: The word You appears three times in the text. The salvation of men and women is not accomplished by human work, but by the direct intervention of God.

V. 4. After the Assyrian conquest, the people of Israel were placed under the burden of tribute and forced labor. The word oppressor refers to the economic oppression and the servitude imposed upon the people. All these burdens will be removed in the same way burdens were removed in the days of Gideon (Judges 6:1-8:35).

V. 5. God’s intervention will eliminate the threat of war. In one great battle the enemies of God’s people will be conquered and the soldier’s equipment used in war will be destroyed or made irrelevant.

V. 6. The reason for the great joy among the people was the birth of a child. The reference to the son that was born is a reference to the enthronement of a new king, probably Hezekiah. The day of the ascension of David’s descendant upon the throne was the day the king became the son of God by adoption (see Psalm 2:7).

The titles given to the new king are the ideals to be achieved by any son of David. However, no human king ever attained these ideals. So, these ideals were taken from the human king and transferred to a future king of Israel, God’s anointed, Jesus Christ.

Wonderful Counselor. This title expresses the wisdom required of the king to guide and direct his people.

Mighty God (or “Mighty Warrior”). This title refers to the power and the fullness of God the king needed to defend and protect his people.

Everlasting Father. This title refers to the king as the one who guided his people with fatherly love in the same way God loves and cares for his people.

Prince of Peace. This title reflects the king as the one who brought wholeness to everyone, leading them to find their destiny in the fullness of God.

V. 7. The new king would be a good king like David and rule his people as the ideal king (see Psalm 72).

Application

In preparing a sermon from this passage, the text should be coupled with either John 1:1-5 or John 8:12-20 or both.

In preparing a sermon from this text, the following titles are possible:

Advent: The Worst of Times and the Best of Times

Advent: Deep Darkness and Wonderful Light

Introduce the text by familiarizing the congregation with the Assyrian invasion and the aftermath of the war: deportation to Assyria, death of thousands, destruction of property. Explain the consequences of exile and deportation.

The first section of the sermon should introduce both the worst of times and the best of times for Israel. The worst of times (or deep darkness): the experience of gloom, anguish, and contempt people feel when they are suffering, when they are rejected. Speak about the oppression people faced then and now: spiritual, economic, and physical oppression. Describe what it means to live without hope.

Israel’s “best of times” was the arrival of the new king. Discuss the hopes people had for a good king. Explain his titles and what was expected of the king according to Psalm 72. Although Hezekiah was a good king, he was only human, unable to rule in justice and righteousness. The light people saw was only a prelude to a great eclipse. Soon darkness was over the land again until the true light that enlightens every person came into the world (John 1:9).

The second section of the sermon should introduce both the worst of times and the best of times for people today. Speak of the anguish, the loneliness, the gloom, the oppression of people today. Compare this with walking in darkness, with living without hope, with being alone. Then introduce the best of times: Jesus Christ, the light of the world that came to provide light to those who live in darkness. Here you should emphasize walking in darkness in Isaiah 9:1 and Jesus’ promise in John 8:12. Jesus said: “I am the light of the world- whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Also, use the play on light and darkness in John 1:1-5. Tell the congregation what happens when Jesus becomes the light of our lives. Paul said: “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).

The third section or the conclusion of the sermon should be an invitation for people to come and enjoy the best of times: life in Christ. Or the conclusion could be an invitation for people to abandon darkness, anguish, gloom, and despair and walk in the light and enjoy the fulness of life in Christ.

Jesus came to dispel darkness. Whatever problems might be casting deep darkness in the hearts and minds of the people in your congregation, the true light that enlightens every person can transform their darkness into light.

Other studies in this series:

1. Preaching from the Old Testament

2. Preaching on the Messianic Prophecies

3. Preaching from Jeremiah 23:5-6

4. From Text to Sermon: Micah 5:2-4

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Hezekiah, Isaiah 9, Messiah

Sennacherib’s Joke

After the death of Sargon II, the king who conquered Samaria, Sennacherib, his son, became the new king of Assyria. Sargon had left his son a large empire. Sargon died in 705 B.C. When Sennacherib became king, he faced uprisings all over the empire. After ascending the throne, Sennacherib led two campaigns against Assyrian enemies in the north. A few years after he became king, Sennacherib led his forces toward Syria and Palestine.

Among the vassals who revolted against Assyria was Hezekiah, king of Judah. In preparing to revolt against Assyria, Hezekiah sought help from Egypt. He also took steps to regain independence by refusing to pay the vassal tribute. According to 2 Kings 18:7, Hezekiah “rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.”

Hezekiah’s plan to revolt against Assyria was motivated by the promises of help from Egypt and Babylon. Hezekiah made a covenant with Egypt, a covenant which the prophet Isaiah called a “covenant with death” (Isaiah 28:18). Trusting in the military help from Egypt (Isaiah 30:1-7; 31:1-3), Hezekiah refused to pay the annual tribute to Assyria.

Sennacherib responded swiftly. First, he subdued many rebellious vassals who had rebelled against him. Then, he came against Hezekiah. According to Assyrian records, Sennacherib destroyed forty-six fortified cities of Judah and deported their population to other parts of the Assyrian empire. As for Hezekiah, Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem and kept him in the city “like a bird in a cage.”

It was at that time, that Sennacherib sent a message to Hezekiah. Mario Liverani, in his book, Israel’s History and the History of Israel (London: Equinox Publishing Ltd, 2005) relates Hezekiah’s response to Sennacherib’s message. In his book, Liverani (p. 148) quotes the annals of Sennacherib to express Hezekiah’s reaction:

"As to Hezekiah, the Judean, he did not submit to my joke."

At a first reading, it seems that Hezekiah was being very ungrateful. Sennacherib sent him a joke and instead of accepting Sennacherib’s joke, Hezekiah refused it.

I wonder why Hezekiah rejected Sennacherib’s joke. As it is well known, some people just don’t know how to tell a joke, and maybe Sennacherib was one of those individuals. But, when one reads the joke Sennacherib imposed on Hezekiah, one understands the reason Hezekiah was not smiling.

During the invasion, Sennacherib conquered the strong cities of Judah and countless small villages in their vicinity. Sennacherib conquered the fortified cities of Judah and sent the surviving population into exile, a total of 200,150 people, young and old, male and female.

Sennacherib presents a triumphal account of his victory against Hezekiah:

As to Hezekiah, the Jew, . . . I laid siege to his strong cities, walled forts, and countless small villages, and conquered them by means of well-stamped earth-ramps and battering-rams brought near the walls with an attack by foot soldiers, using mines, breeches as well as trenches. I drove out 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, big and small cattle beyond counting, and considered them slaves. Himself I made a prisoner in Jerusalem, his royal residence, like a bird in a cage. I surrounded him with earthwork in order to molest those who were his city's gate. Thus I reduced his country, but I still increased the tribute and the presents to me as overlord which I imposed upon him beyond the former tribute, to be delivered annually. Hezekiah himself, did send me, later, to Nineveh, my lordly city, together with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, precious stones, antimony, large cuts of red stone, couches inlaid with ivory, nimedu-chairs inlaid with ivory, elephant-hides, ebony-wood, boxwood and all kinds of valuable treasures, his own daughters and concubines.

The tribute Sennacherib demanded from Hezekiah was no joke. It was so excessive that Hezekiah did not have enough silver and gold to pay the tribute; he gave all he had and paid the remainder in kind.

So, where is Sennacherib’s joke? The joke is only in a bad translation of Liverani’s book. The book was translated from Italian into English and the translators made a horrible mistake. Instead of translating: "as to Hezekiah, the Judean, he did not submit to my yoke," the translators translated: "as to Hezekiah, the Judean, he did not submit to my joke," thus, playing a joke on the readers.

Translating from one language to another is difficult. For this reason, translators must be very careful not to introduce into the text a foreign concept or a wrong message due to a faulty translation. I am sure the “joke” was unintentional, but for readers who may not be familiar with the annals of Sennacherib, the “joke” is not a joke at all.

Claude Mariottini
Professors of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Hezekiah, Mario Liverani, Sennacherib, Translation

Hezekiah 3:16

The book of Hezekiah is one of the most significant books of the Old Testament. This book is often quoted in the press, cited by bloggers, and many people refer to it in daily conversation. One of the most significant passages in the book of Hezekiah is Hezekiah 3:10-16 where the author speaks about the Antichrist and the Beast. Hezekiah 3:16 reveals that the number of the Beast is 666.

Anyone who knows the Bible and reads the paragraph above will know that what is written above is a bunch of nonsense. Hezekiah does not mention the number of the Beast because there is no book of Hezekiah in the Old Testament. But it should be, and I have decided to write it.

I will write the book of Hezekiah in order to save newspaper writers and bloggers the embarrassment of mentioning that something is in the Old Testament when in reality they are referring to a passage in the New Testament. Also, people mention the Bible to justify something that sounds biblical but is not found in the Bible.

Take for example the article “666 the Mark of the Housing Bubble,” posted by Bill Bonner on December 27, 2006 in The Daily Reckoning. Bonner wrote: ‘666’ is the ‘mark of the beast’ in the Old Testament. It prefigures the coming of the Antichrist, if we remember right.

Well, he remembered right, but his citation is wrong. Anyone who knows a little bit about the New Testament will remember that the mark of the beast is found in the book of Revelation 13:18.

These days, the book of Hezekiah is needed more than ever before. I think the book of Hezekiah is also needed to save the embarrassment of people who quote from “The Good Book” when they are trying to teach moral and spiritual values. The first 9 verses of Hezekiah Chapter 3 are Hezekiah’s most famous proverbs:

Hezekiah 3:1: “Money is the root of all evil.”

Hezekiah 3:2: “God helps those who help themselves.”

Hezekiah 3:3: “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

Hezekiah 3:4: “Spare the rod and spoil the child.”

Hezekiah 3:5: “Cleanliness is next to godliness.”

Hezekiah 3:6: “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

Hezekiah 3:7: “God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.”

Hezekiah 3:8: “You can be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good.”

Hezekiah 3:9: “It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it.”

Without the book of Hezekiah, many people will make fools of themselves when they quote the Bible as the authority to confirm what they are saying, when in reality, what they are saying are neither in the Bible nor in the Old Testament as they claim.

There is nothing better than a non-existing book to back-up a non-existing citation.

I have already saved Chapter 2 for Hezekiah’s admonition that “a woman's hair be her covering.”

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Popular Sayings, Bible, Hezekiah