Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה, Standard Hebrew Malḫut Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ Yəhûḏāh) in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah, son of Jacob (Israel). The name Judah itself means Praise of God.
Also see article on Judea.
Judah is often referred to as the Southern Kingdom to distinguish it from the Northern Kingdom (being the Kingdom of Israel) after the division of the Kingdom. Its capital was Jerusalem. See History of ancient Israel and Judah.
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. However, it should be noted that King David had earlier been anointed king of Judah at Hebron. A period of civil war followed, with a unified kingdom emerging several years later, according to the biblical account.
At the end of Solomon's reign, a dispute arose between his son Rehoboam and the northern 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 forced 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." Reheboam harshly rejected the reqest, and the northern tribes revolted. (2 Chron 10)
While such may be the political and econonimc realities described in the Book of Chronicles, the biblical author of 2 Kings makes it clear that the root cause of the division was spitual, 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 Norhtern 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 breifly into submission, ransacking the Temple but apparently doing no lasting harm. For the next sixty years the kings of Judah aimed at re-establishing their authority over the other Israelite tribes, so that there was a state of perpetual war between them. At first Judah's standing army, a vestige of the days of David and Solomon, gained success under brief reign of King Abijah. However, the latter part of the reign of the next king, Asa, faced strong oppostion by Baasha of Israel. Asa then allied himself with the Aramean kingdom of Damascus. Nevertheless, before the death of Asa a lasting friendship was made with Israel, now under the new and powerful dynasty of Omri. A school of Yahwhist prophets arose in opposition to this friendship, because of its corrupting effect on Judah's religious and moral purity. 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 Damascus and Ammon. Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, fought side by side with Ahab of Israel in the fateful battle of Ramoth-Gilead. Jehoshaphat strengthened the alliance by marrying his son Jehoram to Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and 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 zealot Jehu for his lack of devotion to Yahweh. Ahaziah's mother, the northern princess Athaliah, then undertook to govern 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 coup against her, placing Jehoash, the young son of Ahaziah, on the throne. In the early days of Jehoash (c. 835), Hazael of Damascus ravaged the whole country up to the city of Jerusalem, which opened its gates to him and yielded up its spoil.
Prosperty 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. Under Ahaziah's son and successor, Amaziah, the reconquest of Edom, which had been lost under Jehoram, was effected. This secured a valuable trade route to western Arabia, as well access to Red Sea trade through the Gulf of Aqaba. Joash, King of Israel, soon began to percieve a threat in Amaziah and made war on Judah capturing Amaziah and forcing the submission of Jerusalem. This humiliation was released upon the surrender of the treasures of the Temple and of the royal palace (c. 790).
[[[For about another century and a half Judah had a somewhat checkered existence after the termination of the kingdom of Israel till its final overthrow in the destruction of the temple (586 B.C.E.) by Nebuzar-adan, who was captain of Nebuchadnezzar's body-guard (2 Kings 25:8-21).[[[
With the advent of Uzziah (also called Azariah; sole ruler 769) and the decline of the power of Syrian Damascus, the prosperity of Judah was renewed. Uzziah conquered much of the Philistine country (today's Gaza Strip and its environs) and breifly brought even powerful Moab to heel. He fortified Judah's towns, expanded its standing army and successfully developed the countries natural resources of his country. Jotham (sole ruler 738?) continued the vigorous régime of his father, following the example of the properous kings of the Assyrian empire. The expansion of Judah was coincident with the equally remarkable recuperation of northern Israel after the long and exhausting Syrian wars.
The Assyrian Threat
A decisive change took place with the accession of Ahaz, son of Jotham (735). The determining political factor was now the great Assyrian empire, reorganized under Tiglath-pileser III (Pul). To resist his expected invasion Pekah, King of Israel, made alliance with Rezin of Damascus. Ahaz refused to join the league, and, when threatened with coercion by the allies, called for help from the Assyrians. The northern half of Israel was annexed by the Assyrians; and Damascus fared still worse. Judah was reprieved; but it became a vassal state of Assyria.
Hezekiah, son of Ahaz (719), is much praised by the biblical sources for enacted religious reforms that favored the Yahweh-only ethic of the Jerusalem priesthood and the prophet Isaiah. However, in 701 he unwisely joined in a military coalition against Assyria. The whole of Judah was devastated by the invading army of the Assyrian king Sennacherib. Many Judeans were deported, and Jerusalem itself was spared only after a plague had broken out in the army of the invader. After Hezekiah died at a comparatively young age, the reign of his son, Manasseh (690), fared poorly. Manasseh relaxed the religious restriction instituted by his father, and Judah remained the vassal of Assyria. The brief reign of Manasseh's son Amon (641) showed no improvement.
Josiah Challenges Egypt
In the early years of the boy-king Josiah (639,) the priestly party regained the upper hand. The young king accepted as valid the newly discovered "Book of the Law" of Moses. A purge of non-Yahwist priest soon followed, and even sacrifices to the Israelite God we banned outside of Jerusalem. Josiah presented himself as a new Joshua, aiming to purge the nation of the moral and spiritual corruption that had infested it as a result of "Canaanite" influence. Necho II, at the head of the revived native monarchy of Egypt, was now aiming to replace Assyria in the dominion of western Asia. He passed through Palestine with an invading force in 608. Josiah, offering battle to him at Megiddo, was defeated and slain.
Jehoahaz, second son of Josiah, was installed as the new king, but after three months was dethroned by Necho and exiled to Egypt. He was replaced by Josiah's eldest son, Eliakim, whose name was changed by Necho to "Jehoiakim". Judah's vassalage to Egypt was very brief. 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 soon became a Babylonian subject.
The Final Days
The prophet Jeremiah counseled submission, but in 598 Jehoiakim rebelled. He died soon thereafter with Jerusalem under seige. 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. Many were sent to an agricultural colony in central Babylonia.
The third son of Josiah, Zedekiah, was now place on the throne. Again Jeremiah urged submission to the Babylonian power, which he saw as God's chastizing agent for Judah's sins, but other prophets urged boldness against the foreign enemy. Once again the Judahites rebelled. The Babylonian army once again marched to the gates of Jerusalem. The city was taken (July, 586)and the leaders of the rebellion were put to death. Zedekiah himself was carried, a blinded captive, with the greater portion of his subjects, to Babylon. All valuable property was taken away as spoil; and the Temple and city were destroyed by fire. This was the end of the royal house of David, though not the end of Jewish nationality.
The kingdom maintained a separate existence for three hundred and eighty-nine years. It occupied an area of about 8,900 km² (3,435 square miles).
Spiritual Dimension
While the above summary of the history of Judah deals with the military and poliitcal 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 Jeroboam confronts Solomon's successor Rehoboam over his unfair labor practices.
Thereafter the kings of Judah generally prosper when they "walk in the ways of [their] father David" and eschew to "sin of Jeroboam." This sin was not his rebellion against the anonited king, for that had been propecied and even endorse by Ahijah. Instead it was his erecting of a rival temple at Beth-El, a few miles north of Jerusalem, and his establishing there images of two golden bull calves in the sanctuary. Whether these were actual objects of worship or supports for the throne of Yahweh, as the golden cherubim supported God's throne in Jerusalem, is a matter of debate. In either case, to the biblical authors, Jeroboam's act became emblematic of northern tolerance of and even devotion to "other gods".
As a result, none of the northern Kings does right in God's eyes. Several of the southern kings do well, but some do evil, engaging in the "sin of Jeroboam" and sacrificing to gods other than Yahweh. In the end, the evil outweighs the good. Not even the reforms of the good King Hezekiah or the most righteous King Josiah can save Judah from its fate. It must be chastized, its temple destroyed, and it people taken into exile. Only then, after being thus purified and unified through the words of the prophets, will they be allowed to return to Jerusalem, rebuild the temple, and await the coming of a true king, the Messiah, the anointed son of David.
The Kings of Judah
For this period, most historians follow the chronology established by William F. Albright, by Edwin R. Thiele, or by Gershon Galil, all of which are shown below. All dates are BCE.
| 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 | |
| 962–922 | 970–931 | Solomon | שלמה בן-דוד מלך ישראל Shelomoh ben Daud, Melekh Ysr’al |
King of a united Israel - Son of David by Bathsheba | |
| 922–915 | 931–913 | 931–914 | Rehoboam | רחבעם בן-שלמה מלך יהודה Rehav’am ben Shlomoh, Melekh Yehudah |
|
| 915–913 | 913–911 | 914–911 | Abijam | אבים בן-רחבעם מלך יהודה ’Aviyam ben Rehav’am, Melekh Yehudah |
|
| 913–873 | 911–870 | 911–870 | Asah | אסא בן-אבים מלך יהודה ’As’a ben ’Aviyam, Melekh Yehudah |
|
| 873–849 | 870–848 | 870–845 | Jehoshaphat | יהושפט בן-אסא מלך יהודה Yehoshafat ben ’As’a, Melekh Yahudah |
|
| 849–842 | 848–841 | 851–843 | Jehoram | יהורם בן-יהושפט מלך יהודה Yehoram ben Yehoshafat, Melekh Yahudah |
Killed |
| 842–842 | 841–841 | 843–842 | Ahaziah | אחזיהו בן-יהורם מלך יהודה ’Ahazyahu ben Yehoram, Melekh Yehudah |
Killed by Yehu, King of Israel |
| 842–837 | 841–835 | 842–835 | Athaliah | עתליה בת-עמרי מלכת יהודה ‘Atalyah bat ‘Omri, Malkat Yehudah |
Queen Mother, wife of Jehoram; died in a coup |
| 837–800 | 835–796 | 842–802 | Jehoash | יהואש בן-אחזיהו מלך יהודה Yehoash ben ’Ahazyahu, Melekh Yehudah |
Killed by his servants |
| 800–783 | 796–767 | 805–776 | Amaziah | אמציה בן-יהואש מלך יהודה ’Amatzyah ben Yehoash, Melekh Yehudah |
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 |
George Syncellus wrote that the First Olympiad took place in Uzziah's 48th regnal year |
| 742–735 | 740–732 | 758–742 | Jotham | יותם בן-עזיה מלך יהודה Yotam ben ‘Uziyah, Melekh Yehudah |
|
| 735–715 | 732–716 | 742–726 | Ahaz | אחז בן-יותם מלך יהודה ’Ahaz ben Yotam, Melekh Yehudah |
The Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III records he received tribute from Ahaz; compare 2 Kings 16:7-9; Fate unknown |
| 715–687 | 716–687 | 726–697 | Hezekiah | חזקיה בן-אחז מלך יהודה Hizqiyah ben ’Ahaz, Melekh Yehudah |
Contemporary with Sennacherib of Assyria, and Merodach-baladan of Babylon (but see note 1, below) |
| 687–642 | 687–643 | 697–642 | Manasseh | מנשה בן-חזקיה מלך יהודה Menasheh ben Hizqiyah, Melekh Yehudah |
Mentioned in Assyrian records as a contemporary of Esarhaddon. |
| 642–640 | 643–641 | 642–640 | Amon | אמון בן-מנשה מלך יהודה ’Amon ben Menasheh, Melekh Yehudah |
Assassinated |
| 640–609 | 641–609 | 640–609 | Josiah | יאשיהו בן-אמון מלך יהודה Yo’shiyahu ben ’Amon, Melekh Yehudah |
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 |
|
| 609–598 | 609–598 | 609–598 | Jehoiakim | יהויקים בן-יאשיהו מלך יהודה Yehoyaqim ben Yo’shiyahu, Melekh Yehudah |
The Battle of Carchemish occurred in the fourth year of his reign (Jeremiah 46:2) |
| 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 |
Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians and Jehoiachin deposed on March 16, 597 B.C.E. Called 'Jeconiah' in Jeremiah and Esther |
| 597–587 | 597–586 | 597–586 | Zedekiah | צדקיהו בן-יהויכין מלך יהודה Tzidqiyahu ben Yo’shiyahu, Melekh Yehudah |
The last king of Judah. Deposed, blinded and sent into exile. See note 2, below. |
Notes
- Hezekiah: contemporary with Sennacherib of Assyria, and Merodach-baladan of Babylon.
- Zedekiah: King during the second rebellion (588–586 B.C.E.). Jerusalem was captured after a lengthy siege, the temple burnt, Zedekiah taken into exile and Judah was reduced to a province. Nebuchadnezzar had left Gedaliah as his governor, who was killed in one last revolt, and the few members of the ruling classes left from the kingdom of Judah took the prophets Jeremiah and Baruch with them as they fled to sanctuary in Egypt.
From the end of the kingdom to the present
After the end of the ancient kingdom the area passed into foreign rule, apart from brief periods, under the following powers:
- 587–539 B.C.E.: Babylonian Empire
- 539–332 B.C.E.: Persian Empire
- 332–305 B.C.E.: Empire of Alexander the Great
- 305–198 B.C.E.: Ptolemaids
- 198–141 B.C.E.: Seleucids
- 141–37 B.C.E.: The Hasmonean state in Israel established by the Maccabees, since 63 B.C.E. under Roman supremacy
- 37 B.C.E.–AD 70: Herodian Dynasty ruling Judea under Roman supremacy (37 B.C.E.-6 C.E., 41-44 C.E.), interchanging with direct Roman rule (6-41, 44-66). This ended in the first Jewish Revolt of 66 - 73, which saw the Temple destroyed in 70.
- AD 70–395: province of Roman Empire first called Judea, after 135 called Palaestina. In 395 the Roman Empire is split into a Western and an Eastern part.
- 395–638: Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire
- 638–1099: Arab Caliphates and subject rulers
- 1099–1187: Crusader states, most notably the Kingdom of Jerusalem
- 1187–1260: dominated by the Ayyubides of Egypt
- 1260–1516: dominated by the Mamluks of Egypt
- 1516–1917: Ottoman Turks, having previously conquered the Byzantine Empire in 1453
- 1918–1948: British mandate of Palestine under, first, League of Nations, then, successor United Nations; the Emirate of Trans-Jordan was separated from the rest of Palestine in 1922, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan became independent upon the expiration of the League of Nations Mandate in 1946.
- May 1948 to present: independent State of Israel
- 1948-1967 the West Bank was occupied by, and in 1950 annexed to, Jordan. Gaza Strip was occupied by Egypt
- 1967 to present: the West Bank and Gaza Strip occupied by Israel in the Six Day War, since :1994 a semi-autonomous Palestinian Authority governs territories in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
See also
- Judea
- Kingdom of Israel
- Israel
- Judah
External links
- Complete Bible Genealogy A synchronized chart of the kings of Judah and Israel
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