Kingdom of Judah

The Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה, Standard Hebrew Malkut Yəhuda) was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided. It was named after Judah, son of Jacob. The name Judah itself means Praise of God. It is thought to have occupied an area of about 8,900 km² (3,435 square miles), although its borders fluctuated.

Map of the southern Levant, c.800 B.C.E. The territory of the Kingdom of Judah is colored burgundy.

Judah is often referred to as the Southern Kingdom to distinguish it from the Northern Kingdom (the Kingdom of Israel) after the division of the Kingdom. Its capital was Jerusalem. It endured as an independent kingdom, with intermittent periods of vassalage to foreign powers, from the reign of Rehoboam until the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E.

The main source of our knowledge about the Kingdom of Judah is the Hebrew Bible, especially the Books of Kings and Chronicles, as well as references to historical events in the writings of the Prophets. In several cases, documents left by non-Judean rulers provide addition information and alternative perspectives to those provided by the biblical writers. The biblical story of Judah and Israel provides an important basis for the western view of history as a linear process (as opposed to an eternally repeating cycle) in which God's providence can be clearly discerned as a struggle between good and evil forces.

For information on the history of this geographical area after the sixth century B.C.E., please consult the article on Judea.

Foundations

The Kingdom of Judah's foundation is traditionally dated to the point at which Israel and Judah divided, shortly after the reign of King Solomon, which ended in 931/922 B.C.E. However, it should be noted that King David had earlier been anointed king of Judah at Hebron (2 Sam 2:4). A period of civil war followed, with a unified kingdom emerging several years later under the monarchy of David and Solomon, according to the biblical account.

After the end of Solomon's reign, a dispute arose between his son, Rehoboam, and an Ehpraimite leader, Jeroboam, who had been a minister of forced labor under Solomon. Jeroboam urged the young king to relax the labor requirements that Solomon had imposed on the northern tribes, saying, "Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." Rehoboam harshly rejected the request, and the northern tribes revolted (2 Chron 10).

{{{Suggested image (needs shrinking)}}}

http://associate.com/photos/Story-of-the-Bible—1904-Rev-Hurlbut/bw-ot-3/slides/rehoboam-spoke-harshly-to-the-people.jpg

Template:Caption: Rehoboam's response to a northern request to ease forced labor levies was recorded as: "My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions." (1 Kings 12:14)

While such may be the political and economic realities, the author of Kings makes it clear that the root cause of the division was spiritual, resulting from King Solomon's sin of idolatry. The Southern Kingdom thereafter represents his better half, demonstrating a greater degree of faithfulness to God, while the Northern Kingdom falls into a consistent pattern of tolerating and practicing idolatry.

Political Dimension

Northern Enmity and Alliance

Shortly after the schism, a raid of Shishak of Egypt forced Judah briefly into submission. Shishak's forces plundered both the city and the Temple but apparently did little lasting harm. For the next sixty years the kings of Judah aimed at re-establishing their authority over the other Israelite tribes. At first Judah's standing army, a vestige of the days of David and Solomon, gained success under brief reign of King Abijah (Abijam). However, the latter part of the reign of the next king, Asa, faced strong opposition by King Baasha of Israel. Asa then allied himself with the Aramean kingdom of Damascus. Nevertheless, before Asa's death (873/870 B.C.E.), a lasting friendship was made with Israel, now under the new and powerful dynasty of Omri. A school of Yahwist prophets arose in opposition to this association, because of its corrupting effect on Judah's religious and moral purity. However, Judah assumed a subordinate role politically until Israel was crushed by the invading Assyrians.

During this time, Judah and Israel occasionally cooperated against their common enemies, especially the Syrian power centering on Damascus. Jehoshaphat (enthroned 873/870), the son of Asa, fought side by side with Ahab of Israel in the fateful battle of Ramoth-Gilead. Although praised by the the bible (I Kings 22:41-44) for commendable devotion to Yahweh, Jehoshaphat strengthened the alliance by marrying his son Jehoram to Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab and his Phoenician queen, Jezebel. Later, he collaborated with Israel in ship-building and trade. Jehoshaphat's line came to an end with his grandson Ahaziah, who was assassinated by the Yahwist zealot Jehu, who later usurped the throne of Israel. The Ahaziah's mother, the northern princess Athaliah, then carried out a bloody coup in Jerusalem, thus becoming the first and only Queen of Judah. Because of Ataliah's devotion to the Phoenician deity Baal, the priests of the Temple of Yahweh engineered a counter-coup against her, placing Jehoash, the young son of Ahaziah, on the throne. In the early days of Jehoash (enthroned 842/835), Hazael of Damascus ravaged the whole country up to and including the city of Jerusalem.

suggested image: The Death of Queen Athaliah http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/biblediscovery/images/athaliah.jpg

Prosperity and Power

The Syrian power soon declined, however, and Judah now began a period of prosperity which finally made it one of the area's leading kingdoms. Amaziah, the grandson of Amazaiah, reconquered Edom, which had been lost under his father, Jehoram. This secured a direct trade route to western Arabia, as well access to Red Sea trade through the Gulf of Aqaba. Joash, King of Israel, soon began to perceive Amaziah's growing power as a threat in and made war on Judah, capturing Amaziah and forcing the submission of Jerusalem and pludering its temple.

However, with the advent of Uzziah (ascended 788/767), the prosperity of Judah was renewed. Uzziah conquered much of the Philistine country (today's Gaza Strip and its environs) and briefly brought even Moab to heel. He fortified Judah's towns, expanded its army, and successfully developed the country's natural resources of his country. Jotham continued the vigorous régime of his father, following the example of the mighty kings of the powerful Assyrian empire.

The Assyrian Threat

During the reign of Jotham's son Ahaz (beginning 742/732), the Assyrian empire came to the fore. The northern king, Pekah, allied with Rezin of Damascus in the face of the Assyrian threat. Ahaz refused to join the coalition; under pressure, he called for help from the Assyrians. The Assyrians eventually annexed the northern half of Israel, and Damascus itself fell. Judah was spared, but it became a vassal state of Assyria.

Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, is much praised by the biblical sources for enacting religious reforms that favored the Yahweh-only ethic of the Jerusalem priesthood and the prophet Isaiah. However, around 700 B.C.E., he unwisely joined in a military coalition against Assyria. Before the might of the Assyrian king Sennacherib, all of Judah's fortified cities fell, with the sole exception of Jerusalem. Many Judeans were deported, Jerusalem itself being spared when a plague broke out in the army of the invader. After Hezekiah died at a comparatively young age (697/687), the reign of his son, Manasseh, fared poorly. Manasseh relaxed the religious restrictions instituted by his father, and Judah remained the vassal of Assyria. The situation did not improve under Manasseh's son, Amon.

suggested illusatration: Isaiah instructs Hezekiah http://sundials.org/links/local/ahaz/backward4.jpg

Josiah's Star Rises and Falls

In the early years of the boy-king Josiah (641/640), the priestly party regained the upper hand. The young king accepted as valid the newly discovered "Book of the Law" of Moses (2 Kings 22). A boldly purge of non-Yahwist priests soon followed, and even sacrifices to the Israelite God we banned outside of Jerusalem's official temple. Josiah presented himself as God's champion, aiming to purge the nation of the moral and spiritual corruption that had infested it as a result of Canaanite influence. If Josiah was the new Moses, The Egyptian ruler Necho II was the present-day Pharaoh. Heading the revived monarchy of Egypt, Necho aimed to supplant Assyria as the dominate force in western Asia. When Necho passed through Palestine with an invading force c. 608, Josiah boldly offer him battle at Megiddo, and was slain.

suggested illustration: Josiah dismantles an unapproved shrine http://kids.christiansunite.com/images/Bible_Stories/056.jpg

Jehoahaz, the second son of Josiah, reigned for three months, after which he was dethroned by Necho and exiled to Egypt. Josiah's eldest son, Eliakim, replaced him, ruling at Necho's pleasure as "Jehoiakim". Judah's vassalage to Egypt, however did not last long. In 607 Nineveh fell to the Medes, and much of the territory between Niniveh and the Mediterranean came under the new Babylonian monarchy. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt at Carchemish in 604, and Jehoiakim became a Babylonian subject.

The Final Days

The prophet Jeremiah counseled submission, but in 598 Jehoiakim rebelled. He died soon thereafter with Jerusalem under siege. His son Jehoiachin (597) held out for three months and then surrendered. He and and his entire court, including leading figures of the priesthood such as the prophet Ezekiel, were deported.

Babylon now placed on the throne Josiah's third son, Zedekiah. Again Jeremiah urged cooperation with the Babylonian power, which he saw as God's chastising agent for Judah's sins; but other prophets urged boldness against the foreign enemy (Jer. 28-29). Once again the Judeans rebelled. The Babylonian army marched to the gates of Jerusalem, the city was taken (July, 586), and the leaders of the rebellion were put to death. The Babylonians blinded Zedekiah and brought him, a captive, into exile with with a large number of his subjects. The Babylonians set fire to both the Temple and city of Jerusalem. Thus ended the royal house of David and the kingdom of Judah.

suggested graphic: The sack of Jerusalem http://associate.com/photos/Bible-Pictures—1897-W-A-Foster/slides/page-0145-1.jpg

Spiritual Dimension

While the above summary of the history of Judah deals with the military and political vicissitudes of its course, the biblical account presents a story in which Judah's rise and fall relates to one central theme: its fidelity to God. In this version of Judah's story, the division of the Solomon's United Kingdom is due to the fact of his idolatry and is predicted by the prophet Ahijah long before the northern rebel Jeroboam confronts Rehoboam over Solomon's oppressive labor policy.

Thereafter the kings of Judah prosper in war and peace when they "walk in the ways of [their] father David" and eschew to "sin of Jeroboam." This sin was not his rebellion against the anointed king, Rehoboam, for that had been prophesied and even endorsed by God through Ahijah. Instead, it was his toleration of idolatry, his endorsement of the "high places" presided over by non-levite priests, and especially his establishment of the royal temples at Dan and Beth-El, the latter only a few miles north of Jerusalem. In these sanctuaries he reportedly erected golden statues of bull calves.

Several Judean kings receive praise from the biblical writers, but even the good kings who destroy the temples of Baal and tear down the "Ashera poles" do not go far enough, for they fail to destroy the Judean high places where unauthorized priests operate without supervision by Jerusalem. Even in the capital, the idea that God alone should be worshiped fails to take root. The bronze serpent which Yahweh reportedly commanded Moses to make is destroyed by King Hezekiah as an object of idolatry (2 Kings 18:4). Judean families honor the Queen of Heaven by baking cakes and making drink offerings to her (Jeremiah 7:18). Male shrine prostitutes are reported operating not only outside of Jerusalem, but even in the Temple itself in Josiah's day (2 Kings 23:). So confused is the spiritual consciousness of the Judahites, that the prophet Jeremiah quotes God as saying that human sacrifice is "something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind" (Jeremiah 7:31).

possible illustration...Image of the Canaanite fertility goddess Astarte, the "Queen of Heaven" http://www.wheeloftheyear.com/images/2006/astarte.jpg

In the end, says the bible, Judah is not pure enough to stand in God's sight. Not even the radical reforms King Josiah can save Judah from its fate. It must be chastised, its temple destroyed, and it people taken into exile. Only then will the Jews — for thus would the people of Judah be called henceforth — be allowed to return to Jerusalem, rebuild the Temple, and await the coming of their true king, the Messiah, the son of David.

Critical Views

Bible critics hold that the sacred history presented in the above section is the product of a religious ideology that emerged several centuries after the facts it describes. The real history of Judah and Israel must be painstakingly derived by reading in between the lines of this magnificent work of religious historiography, which was designed not so much to present real history as to persuade the people of Judah to abhor any religious authority but that of the Jerusalem priesthood and its allied prophetic school. Tools such as literary analysis, archeology and historical comparisons to other documents and events yields a picture that sometimes compares the biblical view but often contradicts it.

The invasion of Judah by Sennacharib provides a good example. The Bible briefly mentions in 2 Kings 18 that Sennacharib succeeds in conquering much of Judah. It mentions that the Assyrians had earlier subjugated the Northern Kingdom and had brought many of its citizens into exile. It mentions no such exodus of its owns citizens. It goes to great lengths in chapter 19 to describe God's miraculous intervention to save Jerusalem by sending an angel to smite the Assyrians, killing "a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp" (2 Kings 19:35)

The story told by Sennacherib himself in the "Taylor Prism", discovered in the ruins of the city of Nineveh, is quite different:

suggested illustration: the Taylor Prism. http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/resources/image/medium/ps176758.jpg

"Because Hezekiah, king of Judah, would not submit to my yoke, I came up against him, and by force of arms and by the might of my power I took forty-six of his strong fenced cities; and of the smaller towns which were scattered about, I took and plundered a countless number. From these places I took and carried off 200,156 persons, old and young, male and female, together with horses and mules, asses and camels, oxen and sheep, a countless multitude; and Hezekiah himself I shut up in Jerusalem, his capital city, like a bird in a cage, building towers round the city to hem him in, and raising banks of earth against the gates, so as to prevent escape... Then upon Hezekiah there fell the fear of the power of my arms, and he sent out to me the chiefs and the elders of Jerusalem with 30 talents of gold and 800 talents of silver, and divers treasures, a rich and immense booty... All these things were brought to me at Nineveh, the seat of my government.

Historical critics of the bible tell us that much of the history of Judah is colored in a way that portrays religious issues as paramount. It exaggerates the wickedness of "Canaanite" religion, unfairly denigrates the Northern Kingdom, and favors the priestly elites of Jerusalem at the expense of their geographical and religious competition. Feminist critics view the biblical portrayal of Judah's history as arising from male chauvinist writers who sought to repress women in general and goddess worship in particular. Various critics argue that the biblical writers' justification of repressive policies toward other ethnic groups and religions is as bad or worse than that attitude of modern day movements such as the Taliban and other militant Muslim sects. Recently a movement has arisen to link biblical attitudes toward Judah's neighbors with alleged Israeli arrogance toward the Palestinian people. However, many historians refrain from such moral judgments against biblical standards, pointing out that the ethical values of today cannot be imposed on ancient societies. Finally, a large number of Christian and Jewish scholars accept some of the findings of historical criticism regarding the Kingdom of Judah but insist that the contribution of Ethical Monotheism to civilization outweighs the negative aspects mentioned above.

The Kings of Judah

The following chart presents a timeline of the Kings of Judah. For this period, most historians follow the chronology established either by William F. Albright, Edwin R. Thiele, or Gershon Galil, all of which are shown below. All dates are BCE.

{{{Note for Dan... In the editing process, the chart was altered, and I can't figure out how to restore it. The second column from the right —Regnal name and style — is supposed to be wider. It looks correct in the "preview" view, but after saving the page it reverts to the narrow format, making this column too vertical.}}}

Albright dates	Thiele dates	Galil dates	Common/Biblical Name	Regnal name and style	Notes
1000–962		1010–970	David	דוד בן-ישי מלך ישראל Daud ben Yishai, Melekh Ysr’al	King of a united Israel despite several civil wars
962–922		970–931	Solomon	שלמה בן-דוד מלך ישראל Shelomoh ben Daud, Melekh Ysr’al	King of a united Israel; praised for his wisdom; condemned for idolatry
922–915	931–913	931–914	Rehoboam	רחבעם בן-שלמה מלך יהודה Rehav’am ben Shlomoh, Melekh Yehudah	loses northern tribes; attempts to retake north; Jerusalem sacked by Shishak;
915–913	913–911	914–911	Abijam Also called Abijah	אבים בן-רחבעם מלך יהודה ’Aviyam ben Rehav’am, Melekh Yehudah	Captured several northern towns
913–873	911–870	911–870	Asah	אסא בן-אבים מלך יהודה ’As’a ben ’Aviyam, Melekh Yehudah	Allied with Damascus against Israel but later allied with Northern Kingdom
873–849	870–848	870–845	Jehoshaphat	יהושפט בן-אסא מלך יהודה Yehoshafat ben ’As’a, Melekh Yahudah	Supported Ahab of Israel against Syria; married his son to Ahab's daughter Athaliah
849–842	848–841	851–843	Jehoram	יהורם בן-יהושפט מלך יהודה Yehoram ben Yehoshafat, Melekh Yahudah	Killed his six brothers; lost control of territory in Edom
842–842	841–841	843–842	Ahaziah	אחזיהו בן-יהורם מלך יהודה ’Ahazyahu ben Yehoram, Melekh Yehudah	Allied with Israel; killed by Judean zealot Yehu, who became King of Israel
842–837	841–835	842–835	Athaliah	עתליה בת-עמרי מלכת יהודה ‘Atalyah bat ‘Omri, Malkat Yehudah	Ahaziah's mother; infamous Baal worshiper; killed in a Yahwist coup
837–800	835–796	842–802	Jehoash	יהואש בן-אחזיהו מלך יהודה Yehoash ben ’Ahazyahu, Melekh Yehudah	Installed after Athaliah's death; Judah ravaged by Hazael of Damascus
800–783	796–767	805–776	Amaziah	אמציה בן-יהואש מלך יהודה ’Amatzyah ben Yehoash, Melekh Yehudah	Reconquers Edom. Begins period of renewed prosperity. Assassinated
783–742	767–740	788–736	Uzziah (Azariah)	עזיה בן-אמציה מלך יהודה ‘Uziyah ben ’Amatzyah, Melekh Yehudah עזריה בן-אמציה מלך יהודה ‘Azaryah ben ’Amatzyah, Melekh Yehudah	Syria declines. Conquers Philistia, strenghthens military, develops natural resources
742–735	740–732	758–742	Jotham	יותם בן-עזיה מלך יהודה Yotam ben ‘Uziyah, Melekh Yehudah	Prosperity continues with Syrian decline
735–715	732–716	742–726	Ahaz	אחז בן-יותם מלך יהודה ’Ahaz ben Yotam, Melekh Yehudah	Allies with new Assyrian Empire against Israel and Damascus
715–687	716–687	726–697	Hezekiah	חזקיה בן-אחז מלך יהודה Hizqiyah ben ’Ahaz, Melekh Yehudah	Institutes strict religious laws; Sennacherib of Assyria conquers most of Judah
687–642	687–643	697–642	Manasseh	מנשה בן-חזקיה מלך יהודה Menasheh ben Hizqiyah, Melekh Yehudah	Revokes religious reforms; Judah remains vassal of Assyria
642–640	643–641	642–640	Amon	אמון בן-מנשה מלך יהודה ’Amon ben Menasheh, Melekh Yehudah	Continues Manasseh's policies; assassinated
640–609	641–609	640–609	Josiah	יאשיהו בן-אמון מלך יהודה Yo’shiyahu ben ’Amon, Melekh Yehudah	Bible's greatest king since David; died in battle at Megiddo against Necho II of Egypt.
609	609	609	Jehoahaz (Ahaz)	יהואחז בן-יאשיהו מלך יהודה Yeho’ahaz ben Yo’shiyahu, Melekh Yehudah אחז בן-יאשיהו מלך יהודה ’Ahaz ben Yo’shiyahu, Melekh Yehudah	Dethroned and exiled by Necho II after only three months
609–598	609–598	609–598	Jehoiakim (Eliakim)	יהויקים בן-יאשיהו מלך יהודה Yehoyaqim ben Yo’shiyahu, Melekh Yehudah	Installed by Necho II; becomes Babylonian vassal after theBattle of Carchemish but rebels and dies during seige of Jerusalem
598	598	598–597	Jehoiachin (Jeconiah)	יהויכין בן-יהויקים מלך יהודה Yehoyakhin ben Yehoyaqim, Melekh Yehudah יכניהו בן-יהויקים מלך יהודה Yekhonyahu ben Yehoyaqim, Melekh Yehudah	Deposed on March 16, 597 B.C.E. after Jerusalem falls to Babylon. Also called 'Jeconiah'.
597–587	597–586	597–586	Zedekiah	צדקיהו בן-יהויכין מלך יהודה Tzidqiyahu ben Yo’shiyahu, Melekh Yehudah	The last king of Judah. Rebels. Deposed, blinded and sent into exile. References ISBN links support NWE through referral fees Bright, John. A History of Israel. Westminster John Knox Press; 4th edition (2000). ISBN: 0664220681 Keller, Werner. The Bible as History. Bantam (1983). ISBN: 0553279432 Miller, J. Maxwell. A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. Westminster John Knox Press (1986). ISBN: 066421262X See also Entry for Kingdom of Judah at http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com Judea Kingdom of Israel Israel Judah External links Complete Bible Genealogy A synchronized chart of the kings of Judah and Israel Credits New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here: Kingdom of Judah  history The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia: History of "Kingdom of Judah" Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.