# Josiah

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{{Short description|Biblical King of Judah}}
{{About|the Biblical king|other people of the same name|Josiah (given name)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Josiah
| title = 
| image = Åhus kyrka-12.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Josiah in a painting by unknown artist in the choir of {{Ill|St. Mary's Church, Åhus|sv|Sankta Maria kyrka, Åhus}}, 17th century
| succession = [King of Judah](/source/Kings_of_Judah)
| reign = 640–609 BC
| coronation = 
| predecessor = [Amon](/source/Amon_of_Judah)
| successor = [Jehoahaz](/source/Jehoahaz_of_Judah)
| spouse = [Zebudah](/source/Zebudah)<br />[Hamutal](/source/Hamutal)
| issue = [Johanan](/source/Johanan%2C_son_of_Josiah)<br />[Jehoahaz](/source/Jehoahaz_of_Judah)<br />[Jehoiakim](/source/Jehoiakim)<br />[Zedekiah](/source/Zedekiah)
| royal house = [House of David](/source/Davidic_line)
| father = [Amon](/source/Amon_of_Judah)
| mother = [Jedidah](/source/Jedidah)
| religion = [Yahwism](/source/Yahwism)
| birth_date = {{circa|648}} BC
| birth_place = probably [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem)
| death_date = [Tammuz](/source/Tammuz_(Hebrew_month)) (July/August) 609 BC (aged 38–39)
| death_place = [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem)
}}'''Josiah''' ({{langx|grc-x-koine|Ἰωσίας}}; {{langx|la|Iosias}})<ref>{{cite book |last=Wells |first=John C. |title=Longman Pronunciation Dictionary |publisher=Longman |year=1990 |isbn=0-582-05383-8 |location=Harlow, England |page=386}} entry "Josiah"] ''Dictionary.com''. Retrieved 25 July 2011</ref> or  '''Yoshiyahu''' ({{langx|hbo|יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ|Yōʾšiyyāhū|healed or supported by [Yahweh](/source/Yahweh)}}) was the [16th king of Judah](/source/Kings_of_Judah) ({{circa|640}}–609 BC). Described as "one of Judah’s most important kings," his reign likely marked a turning point in the development of [Yahwism](/source/Yahwism).<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last1=Stiebing |first1=William H. |title=Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture |last2=Helft |first2=Susan N. |publisher=Routledge |year=2023 |isbn=9780367744250 |edition=4th |pages=479–482}}</ref> 

According to the [Hebrew Bible](/source/Hebrew_Bible), Josiah ascended to the throne of the southern [Kingdom of Judah](/source/Kingdom_of_Judah) at the age of eight following the assassination of his father, King [Amon](/source/Amon_of_Judah).<ref name=":0">Edwin Thiele, ''[The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings](/source/The_Mysterious_Numbers_of_the_Hebrew_Kings)'', (1st ed.; New York: Macmillan, 1951; 2d ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965; 3rd ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Kregel, 1983). {{ISBN|0-8254-3825-X}}, 9780825438257, 217.</ref> He reigned for 31 years, during which he expanded Judah and initiated major religious reforms, centralizing worship in Jerusalem and eliminating the worship of foreign gods.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

According to the Hebrew Bible, Josiah's religious reforms began in his eighteenth year as king when the 'Book of the Law' (likely an early version of the [Book of Deuteronomy](/source/Book_of_Deuteronomy)) was discovered during repairs to the Temple, and the prophetess [Huldah](/source/Huldah) confirmed its authenticity. Following this discovery, Josiah destroyed idols, [high place](/source/high_place)s, and [sacred poles](/source/Asherah_pole) and purged Judah of false priests, mediums, and magicians.<ref name=":1" /> His reforms also extended into the territory that had once been part of the northern Kingdom of Israel, which had been absorbed into the [Assyrian Empire](/source/Neo-Assyrian_Empire).<ref name=":1" /> Josiah's reforms were not purely religious; they were also politically motivated. By centralizing worship at the [Jerusalem Temple](/source/Temple_in_Jerusalem) and eliminating smaller shrines and high places, Josiah gained control over the offerings and dues previously managed by local cultic centers. Scholars argue that he sought to revive a [united kingdom](/source/Kingdom_of_Israel_(united_monarchy)).<ref name=":1" />

The biblical account of Josiah's reforms, especially the removal of idol worship and the destruction of high places, has traditionally been considered historically accurate.<ref name=":1" /> However, the accuracy of these descriptions is now widely debated among scholars.<ref>{{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4lzyDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA249 |title=Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It? |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-567-67044-1 |page=249 |quote=It was once conventional to accept Josiah’s reform at face value, but the question is currently much debated (Albertz 1994: 198–201; 2005; Lohfink 1995; P. R. Davies 2005; Knauf 2005a).}}</ref> Despite no direct reference to Josiah in other contemporary texts from Egypt or Babylon, and no inscriptions bearing his name, a seal bearing the name "[Nathan-melech](/source/Nathan-melech)," an official under Josiah mentioned in {{bibleverse|2 Kings|23:11}}, was discovered [in situ](/source/in_situ) in an archeological site in [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem).<ref name="Mendel">{{Cite journal |last1=Mendel-Geberovich |first1=Anat |last2=Shalev |first2=Yiftah |last3=Bocher |first3=Efrat |last4=Shalom |first4=Nitsan |last5=Gadot |first5=Yuval |year=2019 |title=A Newly Discovered Personal Seal and Bulla from the Excavations of the GivꜤati Parking Lot, Jerusalem |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27098633 |journal=Israel Exploration Journal |volume=69 |issue=2 |pages=154–174 |issn=0021-2059 |jstor=27098633}}</ref> This seal provides some archaeological support for the biblical account. Most scholars, however, agree on Josiah's historical existence.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sweeney |first1=Marvin A. |title=King Josiah of Judah: The Lost Messiah of Israel |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-19-028528-9 |page=5}}</ref>

The influence of Josiah’s reign is evident in the [Deuteronomistic History](/source/Deuteronomist), a collection of biblical texts that evaluate the reigns of Israelite and Judahite kings based on their adherence to the laws of Deuteronomy.<ref name=":1" /> Josiah is depicted as the most righteous king in this tradition, the only one to fully implement the reforms outlined in the "Book of the Law."<ref name=":1" /> His death in 609 BC during a confrontation with Pharaoh [Necho II](/source/Necho_II) of [Late Egypt](/source/Late_Period_of_ancient_Egypt) set the stage for the decline of the kingdom.<ref name=":1" />

== Biblical narrative ==
The Bible describes him as a righteous king in [2 Kings 22](/source/2_Kings_22):2, "He did what was pleasing to [GOD](/source/Tetragrammaton) and he followed all the ways of his forefather [David](/source/David); he did not deviate to the right or to the left." A similar phrase appears in [2 Chronicles 34](/source/2_Chronicles_34):2. He is also one of the kings mentioned in the [Gospel of Matthew](/source/Gospel_of_Matthew), one of the two [genealogies of Jesus](/source/genealogy_of_Jesus) in the [New Testament](/source/New_Testament) (cf. [Matthew 1:10](/source/Matthew_1%3A10)–[11](/source/Matthew_1%3A11)).

=== Family ===
According to the biblical narrative, Josiah was the son of King Amon of Judah and [Jedidah](/source/Jedidah), daughter of [Adaiah](/source/Adaiah) of [Bozkath](/source/Bozkath).<ref name="je">[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8926-josiah "Josiah"], ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' (1906).</ref> His grandfather [Manasseh](/source/Manasseh_of_Judah) was one of the kings blamed for turning away from the worship of [Yahweh](/source/Yahweh). Manasseh adapted the Temple for [idolatrous](/source/idolatrous) worship. Josiah's great-grandfather was King [Hezekiah](/source/Hezekiah), a noted reformer also respected by the biblical writers as having "done what was right in the sight of the [LORD](/source/Tetragrammaton), as David had done." in [2 Kings 18](/source/2_Kings_18):3 and [2 Chronicles 29](/source/2_Chronicles_29):2.

According to [1 Chronicles 3](/source/1_Chronicles_3):15, [2 Kings 23](/source/2_Kings_23):31 and 36, [2 Kings 24](/source/2_Kings_24):18, Josiah had four sons: Johanan and Eliakim (born c. 634 BC), whose mother was [Zebidah](/source/Zebidah), the daughter of [Pedaiah](/source/Pedaiah) of Ruma; and Shallum (633/632 BC) and Mattanyahu (c. 618 BC), whose mother was [Hamutal](/source/Hamutal), the daughter of Jeremiah of [Libnah](/source/Libnah). Eliakim had his name changed by the Saïte pharaoh Necho II to [Jehoiakim](/source/Jehoiakim) according to [2 Kings 23](/source/2_Kings_23):34.

Shallum, his third son, succeeded Josiah as [Jehoahaz](/source/Jehoahaz_of_Judah) according to [1 Chronicles 3](/source/1_Chronicles_3):15 and [Jeremiah 22](/source/Jeremiah_22):11. Eliakim succeeded Shallum as [Jehoiakim](/source/Jehoiakim) in [2 Chronicles 36](/source/2_Chronicles_36):4, and he was succeeded by his son [Jeconiah](/source/Jeconiah) in [2 Chronicles 36](/source/2_Chronicles_36):8. Jeconiah was succeeded to the throne by his uncle Mattanyahu, under the name [Zedekiah](/source/Zedekiah) in [2 Kings 24](/source/2_Kings_24):17. Zedekiah was the last king of Judah before the kingdom was conquered by the [Neo-Babylonian Empire](/source/Neo-Babylonian_Empire) and the [Babylonian captivity](/source/Babylonian_captivity) began.

=== Religious reform ===
The [Second Book of Chronicles](/source/Second_Book_of_Chronicles) records that Josiah was eight years old when he became king. In the eighth year of his reign, he "began to seek the God of his father David" and in the twelfth year of that reign he began a program of destruction of [Baal](/source/Baal)ist altars and images throughout Jerusalem and Judah according to [2 Chronicles 34](/source/2_Chronicles_34):1-3. [The Chronicler](/source/The_Chronicler) records in detail the execution of this program. In contrast, the account in 2 Kings begins with a restoration of [Solomon's Temple](/source/Solomon's_Temple) in Jerusalem, which both accounts say was initiated in the eighteenth year of his reign.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|22:3|NKJV}}; {{bibleverse|2|Chronicles|34:8|NKJV}}</ref>

[[File:Close-Up.jpg|thumb|right|220px|View of the inner court and [Holy Place](/source/Holy_Place) of [Solomon's Temple](/source/Solomon's_Temple) depicted in a 3-D computer model]]
Josiah ordered  [Hilkiah](/source/Hilkiah), the [High Priest](/source/High_Priest_of_Israel), to use the tax money collected over the years to renovate the Temple. While Hilkiah was clearing the treasure room of the Temple, he allegedly discovered a scroll described in [2 Kings 22](/source/2_Kings_22):8 as "a scroll of the Teaching" and in [2 Chronicles 34](/source/2_Chronicles_34):14 as "the book of the Law of the LORD given by [Moses](/source/Moses)". The phrase "scroll of the Teaching" ({{langx|hbo|ספר התורה|sēp̄er hat-torā}}) in 2 Kings 22:8 is identical to the phrase used in [Joshua 1](/source/Joshua_1):8 and [8](/source/Joshua_8):34 to describe the sacred writings [Joshua](/source/Joshua) had received from [Moses](/source/Moses). The book is not identified in the text, but scholarly consensus holds that this was either a copy of the [Book of Deuteronomy](/source/Book_of_Deuteronomy) or a text that became a part of Deuteronomy.<ref>Sweeney, Marvin A. (2001), ''King Josiah of Judah'', Oxford University Press, p.137. {{ISBN|978-0-19-513324-0}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Na’aman |first=Nadav |date=2011 |title=The Discovered Book and the Legitimation of Josiah's Reform |journal=Journal of Biblical Literature  |volume=130 |issue=1 |pages=47–62 |doi=10.2307/41304187 |jstor=41304187 |s2cid=153646048 |issn=0021-9231}}</ref>

The story of the Temple restoration is based on those ordered by an earlier Judean king, [Joash](/source/Jehoash_of_Judah) in [2 Kings 12](/source/2_Kings_12), who ruled c. 836 – 796 BC.<ref>[Encyclopaedia Judaica](/source/Encyclopaedia_Judaica) (second edition, vol 11) pg. 459.</ref>

Hilkiah brought this scroll to Josiah's attention. Josiah consulted the prophetess [Huldah](/source/Huldah), who assured him that the evil foretold in the document for non-observance of its instructions, would come, but not in his day; "because", she said, "thine heart was tender and thou didst humble thyself before the Lord".<ref name=je /> An assembly of the elders of Judah and Jerusalem and of all the people was called, and Josiah then encouraged the exclusive worship of Yahweh, forbidding all other forms of worship. The instruments and emblems of the worship of [Baal](/source/Baal) and "[heavenly host](/source/heavenly_host)" were removed from the [Temple in Jerusalem](/source/Temple_in_Jerusalem). Local sanctuaries, known as [high place](/source/high_place)s, were destroyed from [Beersheba](/source/Beersheba) in the south to [Bethel](/source/Bethel) and the cities of [Samaria](/source/Samaria) in the north.<ref name=je /> Josiah had pagan priests executed and even had the bones of the dead priests of Bethel exhumed from their graves and burned on their altars. Josiah also reinstituted [Passover](/source/Passover) celebrations.

[[File:Close-Up-Without-Ceiling.jpg|thumb|300px|View of [Solomon's Temple](/source/Solomon's_Temple) with ceiling removed as depicted in a 3-D computer model]]
According to {{bibleverse|1|Kings|13:1–3|NIV}} an unnamed "man of God" (sometimes identified as [Iddo](/source/Iddo_(prophet))) had prophesied to King [Jeroboam](/source/Jeroboam) of the northern [Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)](/source/Kingdom_of_Israel_(Samaria)), approximately three hundred years earlier, that "a son named Josiah will be born to the house of David" and that he would destroy the altar at [Bethel](/source/Bethel). And the only exception to this destruction was for the grave of an unnamed prophet he found in [Bethel](/source/Bethel) ({{bibleverse|2|Kings|23:15–19|NIV}}), who had foretold that these religious sites [Jeroboam](/source/Jeroboam) erected would one day be destroyed (see {{bibleverse|1|Kings|13|NIV}}). Josiah ordered the double grave of the "man of God" and of the Bethel prophet to be left alone, as these prophecies had come true.

Josiah's reforms are described in two biblical accounts, 2 Kings 22–23, and 2 Chronicles 34–35. They began with the ending of ancient Israelite religious practices, and the astral cults that had become popular in the 8th century, and led to centralisation of worship in Jerusalem, and the destruction of the temple at Bethel.<ref>''Encyclopaedia Judaica'', second edition, vol 11, pg 459</ref> Some scholars have rejected the entire historicity of these accounts,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pakkala |first1=Juha |title=One God – One Cult – One Nation |chapter=Why the Cult Reforms In Judah Probably Did Not Happen |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/382385 |editor-last=Kratz |editor-first=Reinhard G. |editor2-last=Spieckermann |editor2-first=Hermann |publisher=De Gruyter |year=2010 |pages=201–235 |isbn=9783110223576 |accessdate=2024-01-25 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=The High Places (Bāmôt) and the Reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah: An Archaeological Investigation |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |year=2002 |last=Fried |first=Lisbeth S. |volume=122 |issue=3 |pages=437–464 |doi=10.2307/3087515 |jstor=3087515 |url=https://www.academia.edu/855580 |accessdate=2024-01-25 }}</ref><ref>[Grabbe, Lester](/source/Lester_L._Grabbe) (2017). ''Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It?''. T&T Clark. p. 249-250. “We have no direct evidence outside the biblical text, which makes us at least ask whether it is an invention of the Deuteronomist. The alleged absence of any reference to this reform in Jeremiah has always been a major puzzle. Some have found allusions here and there, but one has to admit that they are surprisingly obscure. Considering Jeremiah’s overall message and position, he should have embraced such a reform and made copious comments about it.”</ref> while others have defended the historical existence of a religious reform under Josiah's reign.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Na’aman |first=Nadav |date=2006 |title=The King Leading Cult Reforms in his Kingdom: Josiah and Other Kings in the Ancient Near East |journal=Zeitschrift für altorientalische und biblische Rechtsgeschichte  |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=131–168 |doi=10.13173/ZAR.12.1.131 |doi-broken-date=1 August 2025 |issn=2747-4461 |url=https://www.academia.edu/11659838}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Rethinking Israel: Studies in the History and Archaeology of Ancient Israel in Honor of Israel Finkelstein |last=Römer |first=Thomas |publisher=Penn State Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-57506-787-2 |pages=329–340 |editor-last=Lipschits |editor-first=O. |chapter=The Rise and Fall of Josiah |editor-last2=Gadot |editor-first2=Y. |editor-last3=Adams |editor-first3=M. J. |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/41915207}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Conversations on Canaanite and Biblical Themes: Creation, Chaos and Monotheism |last=Hess |first=Richard S. |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |year=2022 |isbn=978-3-11-060629-4 |pages=135–150 |editor-last=Watson |editor-first=Rebecca S. |chapter=2 Kings 22-3: Belief in One God in Preexilic Judah? |editor-last2=Curtis |editor-first2=Adrian H. W. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YUR6EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA135}}</ref><ref name="Elitzur" />

According to the later account in [2 Chronicles](/source/2_Chronicles), Josiah destroyed altars and images of certain [pagan deities](/source/Pagan_god) in cities of the tribes of [Manasseh](/source/tribe_of_Manasseh), [Ephraim](/source/tribe_of_Ephraim), "and [Simeon](/source/tribe_of_Simeon), as far as [Naphtali](/source/Naphtali)" ({{bibleverse|2|Chronicles|34:6–7|NIV}}), which were outside of his kingdom, Judah, and returned the [Ark of the Covenant](/source/Ark_of_the_Covenant) to the [Temple](/source/Solomon's_Temple).<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Chronicles|35:1–4|NIV}}</ref>

=== Book of the Law ===
thumb|''Josiah Hearing the Book of the Law'' (1873)
The [Hebrew Bible](/source/Hebrew_Bible) states that the priest [Hilkiah](/source/Hilkiah) found a "Book of the Law" in the temple during the early stages of Josiah's temple renovation.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Write That They May Read: Studies in Literacy and Textualization in the Ancient Near East and in the Hebrew Scriptures: Essays in Honour of Professor Alan R. Millard |last=Hoffmeier |first=James K. |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-7252-5210-3 |editor-last=Block |editor-first=Daniel I. |page=279 |chapter=The Discovery of the Book of the Law in 2 Kings 22:8-10 in the Light of the Literary Renaissance of the Eighth to Seventh Centuries in the Ancient Near East |editor-last2=Deuel |editor-first2=David C. |editor-last3=Collins |editor-first3=C. John |editor-last4=Lawrence |editor-first4=Paul J. N. |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/43756707}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|22|HE}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|2|Chronicles|34|HE}}</ref> Hilkiah then gave the scroll to his secretary [Shaphan](/source/Shaphan), who took it to King Josiah. According to the Bible, King Josiah then changed his leadership entirely, entering into a new covenant with God. He wiped out rival cults that had formed within his land. He, along with his people, then entered into this new covenant with God to keep the [commandments](/source/613_commandments).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mendenhall|first1=George|author-link=George E. Mendenhall|date=September 1954|title=Covenant Forms in Israelite Tradition|journal=[The Biblical Archaeologist](/source/The_Biblical_Archaeologist) |volume=17|issue=3|pages=73–76|doi=10.2307/3209151|jstor=3209151|s2cid=166165146}}</ref><ref>[https://aish.com/the-torahs-rediscovery-in-josiahs-time/ The Torah discovery in Josiah Time]</ref>

For much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it was widely accepted among biblical scholars that this "Book of the Law" was an early version of the Book of Deuteronomy, but recent scholarship views it as a largely legendary narrative of one of the earliest stages in the creation of the Deuteronomistic work.<ref>[http://bible.org/article/book-josiahs-reform "The Book of Josiah's Reform"], Bible.org. Retrieved 24 July 2011.</ref> [William G. Dever](/source/William_G._Dever), for example, argues that the Book of the Law was actually composed by orthodox Yahwist priests, who attributed it to the legendary figure of [Moses](/source/Moses) and then hid it in the Temple, where it would be dramatically discovered; in this way, a "miraculous new Word from [Yahweh](/source/Yahweh)" would seem to have appeared, giving Judah a chance to redeem itself and save itself from the advance of the [Neo-Babylonian Empire](/source/Neo-Babylonian_Empire).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Dever|first=William G.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6-VxwC5rQtwC&pg=PA98|title=What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It?: What Archeology Can Tell Us About the Reality of Ancient Israel|date=2001-05-10|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|isbn=978-0-8028-2126-3|page=100}}</ref>

Many scholars view the entire core narrative, from Joshua to 2 Kings, as a Deuteronomistic History (DtrH) written during Josiah's reign.<ref>Friedman 1987</ref><ref>Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman, ''The Bible Unearthed: Archeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of its Sacred Texts'', Touchstone, New York, 2002</ref> In fact, some recent European theologians even go so far as to posit that most of the [Torah](/source/Torah) and Deuteronomistic History was composed and finalized several centuries later, during the [Persian rule](/source/Yehud_Medinata).<ref>Konrad Schmid, "The Persian Imperial Authorization as a Historical Problem and as a Biblical Construct," in G.N. Knoppers and B.M. Levison (eds.): ''The Pentateuch as Torah: New Models for Understanding its Promulgation and Acceptance'', Eisenbrauns 2007</ref> However, biblical scholars are coming to believe that the Deuteronomistic History was composed using other earlier sources, including a brief chronicle of king's names, age at the beginning of their reign, and their mother's names.<ref>{{Cite book |asin=B01MTO6I34|title=1 & 2 Kings: An Introduction and Study Guide: History and Story in Ancient Israel|last=Grabbe|first=Lester L.|date=2016-12-01|publisher=T&T Clark|edition=1}}</ref>

=== Prophets and King Josiah ===
thumb|Depiction of King Josiah on the mosaic of the genealogy of the Virgin Mary in the Chora Church, in the north dome of the inner narthex, Istanbul, Turkey (14th century).
According to rabbinic interpretation, [Huldah](/source/Huldah) said to the messengers of King Josiah, "Tell the man that sent you to me ..." ({{bibleverse|2|Kings|22:15|NIV}}), indicating by her unceremonious language that for her Josiah was like any other man. The king addressed her, and not Jeremiah, because he thought that women are more easily stirred to pity than men, and that therefore the prophetess would be more likely than Jeremiah to intercede with God in his behalf.<ref>Megillah 14a,b; compare Seder 'Olam R. 21</ref> Huldah was a relative of Jeremiah, both being descendants of Rahab by her marriage with Joshua.<ref>Sifre, Numbers 78; Megillah 14a, b</ref> While Jeremiah admonished and preached repentance to the men, she did the same to the women.<ref>Pesiḳta Rabbah 26 [ed. Friedmann, p.&nbsp;129]</ref> Huldah was not only a prophetess, but taught publicly in the school according to the [Targum](/source/Targum) of [2 Kings 22](/source/2_Kings_22):14. It is doubtful whether "the Gate of Huldah" in the [Second Temple](/source/Second_Temple) (Middot 1:3) has any connection with the prophetess Huldah; it may have meant "Cat's Gate"; some scholars, such as [Rashi](/source/Rashi), associate the gate with Huldah's schoolhouse.

The prophetic activity of Jeremiah began in the reign of Josiah; he was a contemporary of his relative the prophetess Hulda and of his teacher Zephaniah.<ref>compare Maimonides in the introduction to "Yad"; in [Lamentations Rabbah](/source/Lamentations_Rabbah) 1:18 Isaiah is mentioned as Jeremiah's teacher</ref> These three prophets divided their activity: Hulda spoke to the women and Jeremiah to the men in the street, while Zephaniah preached in the synagogue.<ref>Pesiḳta Rabbah l.c.</ref> When Josiah restored the true worship, Jeremiah went to the exiled ten tribes, whom he brought to Israel under the rule of the pious king.<ref>'Arachin 33a</ref> Although Josiah went to war with Egypt against the prophet's advice, Jeremiah knew that this was an error by the otherwise pious king;<ref>Lamentations Rabbah l.c.</ref> and later he bitterly laments the king's death: the fourth chapter of Lamentations beginning with a dirge on Josiah.<ref>Lamentations Rabbah 4:1; Targum II Chron. 35:25</ref>

King Josiah, who foresaw the impending national catastrophe, concealed the Ark and its contents (including Aaron's rod, the vial of [manna](/source/manna) and the anointing oil) within a hidden chamber which had been built by [Solomon](/source/Solomon)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/148171/jewish/A-Buried-Treasure-The-Entombment-of-the-Ark.htm|title=A Buried Treasure: The Entombment of the Ark - Chabad.org}}</ref>] (Tosefta, Sotah, 13a); cf. [Babylonian Talmud](/source/Babylonian_Talmud) (''Kereithot'' 5b) and their whereabouts will remain unknown until, in the [Messianic age](/source/Messiah_in_Judaism), the prophet [Elijah](/source/Elijah) shall reveal them (Mekhilta l.c.).<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia">{{cite encyclopedia |author=Charles J. Mendelsohn |author2=Kaufmann Kohler |author3=Morris Jastrow|encyclopedia=[Jewish Encyclopedia](/source/Jewish_Encyclopedia) |title= Amon, King of Judah|url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1420-amon-king-of-judah|edition=1st |publisher=Funk & Wagnalls|year=1906 |volume=I|pages=526–527}}</ref>

=== Foreign relations ===
[[File:Necho-KnellingStatue BrooklynMuseum.png|thumb|right|100px|Pharaoh [Necho II](/source/Necho_II)]]
When Josiah became king of Judah in about 641 or 640 BC, the international situation was in flux. The [Assyria](/source/Assyria)n Empire was beginning to disintegrate, the [Neo-Babylonian Empire](/source/Neo-Babylonian_Empire) had not yet risen to replace it, and [Egypt](/source/Ancient_Egypt) to the west was still recovering from Assyrian rule. In this power vacuum, [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem) was able to govern itself for the time being without foreign intervention.

In the spring of 609 BC, Pharaoh [Necho II](/source/Necho_II) led a sizable army up to the [Euphrates River](/source/Euphrates_River) to aid the [Neo-Assyrian Empire](/source/Neo-Assyrian_Empire), which was collapsing under the attacks of the [Medes](/source/Medes) and the [Neo-Babylonian Empire](/source/Neo-Babylonian_Empire).<ref name="coogan1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zFhvECwNQD0C&q=josiah%2C+book+of+kings%2C+assyria&pg=RA1-PA261|title=The Oxford History of the Biblical World|first1=Michael David|last1=Coogan|first2=Michael D.|last2=Coogan|date=January 8, 2001|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780195139372|via=Google Books}}</ref> Taking the coast route [Via Maris](/source/Via_Maris) into [Syria](/source/Syria_(region)) at the head of a large army, consisting mainly of mercenaries; and supported by his Mediterranean fleet along the shore, Necho passed the low tracts of [Philistia](/source/Philistia) and [Sharon](/source/Sharon_plain). However, the passage over the ridge of hills which shuts in on the south of the great [Jezreel Valley](/source/Jezreel_Valley) was blocked by the Judean army led by Josiah. The reason for Josiah attempting to halt the Egyptian campaign is not known, but he may have considered that the Assyrians and Egyptians were weakened by the death of pharaoh [Psamtik I](/source/Psamtik_I) only a year earlier (610 BC): Psamtik having been appointed and confirmed by Assyrian kings [Esarhaddon](/source/Esarhaddon) and [Ashurbanipal](/source/Ashurbanipal).<ref name="coogan1" /> According to the Biblical [Books of Chronicles](/source/Books_of_Chronicles), Necho had not intended to do battle with the Judeans and was confused by Josiah's decision to attack him, supposedly sending a letter saying "what have we done to each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day."<ref>{{Bibleverse|2 Chronicles|35:21}}</ref>

Josiah attempted to block the advance at [Megiddo](/source/Megiddo_(place)), where a fierce [battle](/source/battle_of_Megiddo_(609_BC)) was fought and Josiah was killed.<ref>Sweeney, Marvin A. ''King Josiah of Judah'', Oxford University Press, 2001, p. 309. {{ISBN|978-0-19-513324-0}}</ref> Necho then joined forces with the Assyrian [Ashur-uballit II](/source/Ashur-uballit_II) and crossed the Euphrates to lay siege to [Harran](/source/Harran). The combined forces failed to capture the city, and Necho retreated to northern Syria.

=== Death ===
{{main|Battle of Megiddo (609 BC)}}
[[File:Francesco Conti - Death of King Josiah.jpg|thumb|Death of king Josiah as illustrated by [Francesco Conti](/source/Francesco_Conti_(painter))]]
There are two accounts of Josiah's death in the Bible, both involving the [Battle of Megiddo (609 BC)](/source/Battle_of_Megiddo_(609_BC)). 2 Kings merely states that Necho II met Josiah at [Megiddo](/source/Tel_Megiddo) and killed him in [23:29](/source/2_Kings_23), whereas the [2 Chronicles 35](/source/2_Chronicles_35):20–27 gives a lengthier account and states that Josiah was fatally wounded by Egyptian archers and was brought back to Jerusalem to die. His death in the latter account was attributed to his "not listening to what Necho had said at God's command" when Necho said, "What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war; and God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, so that he will not destroy you."<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Chronicles|35:21|NRSV}}</ref> According to {{bibleverse|2|Chronicles|35:25|HE}}, [Jeremiah](/source/Jeremiah_(prophet)) wrote a lament for Josiah's death.<ref name=Hill>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eirJowTVOMEC&q=king+josiah&pg=PT565|title=1 and 2 Chronicles|first=Andrew E.|last=Hill|date=May 11, 2010|publisher=Zondervan Academic|isbn=9780310865612|via=Google Books}}</ref>

The account in Chronicles is considered unreliable by some scholars,<ref>Talshir, Zipora, "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/1585444?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents The Three Deaths of Josiah and the Strata of Biblical Historiography]" (2 Kings XXIII 29–30; 2 Chronicles XXXV 20-5; 1 Esdras I 23–31), ''Vetus Testamentum'' XLVI, 2, 1996</ref> as it is based on the description of the death of a different king, Ahab, in 1 Kings, and it meets the Chronicler's religious agenda to attribute the death of a righteous king to some form of sin.<ref>''Encyclopaedia Judaica'', second edition, vol. 11, pg 458–459</ref>

Some researchers have concluded from the account in Kings that Josiah did not meet Necho in battle but was summoned by Necho as a vassal, investigated, and beheaded for failing to pay the correct tribute or tax to Egypt.<ref>Kahn, Dan'el, "[https://www.academia.edu/19430481 Why did Necho II kill Josiah?]"</ref>

[Rabbinic literature](/source/Rabbinic_literature) remarks on Josiah's piety and his father, Amon:
{{quote|The fact that Amon was the most sinful of all the wicked kings of Judah (II Chron. xxxiii. 23) is brought out in the Talmud (Sanh. 103b) as follows (Sanh. 104a): Ahaz suspended the sacrificial worship, Manasseh tore down the altar, Amon made it a place of desolation [covered it with cobwebs]; Ahaz sealed up the scrolls of the Law (Isa. viii. 16), Manasseh cut out the sacred name, Amon burnt the scrolls altogether [compare Seder Olam, R. xxiv. This is derived from the story of the finding of the Book of the Law, II Kings, xxii. 8]; Ahab permitted incest, Manasseh committed it himself, Amon acted as Nero was said to have done toward his mother Agrippina. And yet, out of respect for his son Josiah, Amon's name was not placed on the list of the kings excluded from the world to come."<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia" /><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3RXG43DWPjEC&q=Josiah|title=The Legends of the Jews|first1=Louis|last1=Ginzberg|first2=Boaz|last2=Cohen|date=January 8, 1913|publisher=Jewish publication society of America|via=Google Books}}</ref>}}
It also states that his death happened because, despite his sincere religious reforms, he had in fact been deceived. He refused to heed Jeremiah, thinking that no sword would pass through Judah. He was struck by 300 [hurled darts](/source/Dart_(missile)); he made no complaint except to acknowledge "The Lord is righteous, for I rebelled against His commandment."<ref name="auto" />

=== Succession ===
After the setback in Harran, the Pharaoh Necho left a sizeable force in Judah and returned to [Egypt](/source/Ancient_Egypt). On his return march, Necho found that [Jehoahaz](/source/Jehoahaz_of_Judah) had succeeded his father Josiah as King of Judah. ({{bibleverse|2|Kings|23:31|HE}}) Necho deposed Jehoahaz, who had been king of Judah for only three months, and replaced him with Jehoahaz's older brother, [Jehoiakim](/source/Jehoiakim). Necho imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver (about 3{{fraction|3|4}} tons or about 3.4 metric tons) and a talent of gold (about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms). Necho then took Jehoahaz back to Egypt as his prisoner. 

Necho had left Egypt in 609 BC to relieve the [Assyria](/source/Assyria)n [Harran](/source/Harran) under Babylonian siege. The actions of Josiah may have provided aid to the Babylonians by engaging the Egyptian army.<ref name="FeeHubbard2011">{{cite book|author1=Gordon D. Fee |author2=Robert L. Jr. Hubbard|title=The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P-4v9JHteTgC&pg=PA258|date=4 October 2011|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|isbn=978-0-8028-3823-0|page=258}}</ref>

== Sources ==
[[File:SolomonsTemple.png|thumb|220px|A sketch of the [Temple of Solomon](/source/Temple_of_Solomon) based on descriptions in the [Tanakh](/source/Tanakh).]]
The only textual sources of information for Josiah's reign are from the Bible,<ref name="Alpert">{{cite book |last1=Alpert |first1=Bernard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o-_gHZEFd1oC&q=74 |title=Archaeology and the Biblical Record |last2=Alpert |first2=Fran |publisher=Hamilton Books |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-7618-5835-5 |page=74}}</ref> notably {{bibleverse|2|Kings|22–23|HE}} and {{bibleverse|2|Chronicles|34–35|HE}}. No archaeological evidence for Josiah as a person exists. However, a bulla (impression seal) has been found in the "City of David" archaeological site  in Jerusalem featuring the name of one of King Josiah's officials, [Nathan-melech](/source/Nathan-melech), mentioned in {{bibleverse|2 Kings|23:11|KJV}}. The inscription of the ring says, "(belonging) to Netanmelek, Servant of the King".<ref name="Mendel" /> Although it may not directly mention King Josiah by name, it does appear to be from the same time period in which he would have lived. Seals and seal impressions from the period show a transition from those of an earlier period which bear images of stars and the moon, to seals that carry only names, a possible indication of Josiah's enforcement of monotheism.<ref>{{cite book |title=Good Kings and Bad Kings |last=Uehlinger |first=Christoph |publisher=T&T Clark International |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-8264-6976-2 |pages=279–316 |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |chapter=Was There A Cult Reform under King Josiah? The Case for a Well-Grounded Minimum}}</ref> Other possible archaeological evidence of Josiah's religious reforms may have been discovered at [Tel Dothan](/source/Tel_Dothan) and [Mordot Arnona](/source/Mordot_Arnona) in [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem).<ref name="Elitzur">{{cite journal |title=The Altar at Tel Dothan – A Trace of Josiah's Reform? |journal=Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society |url=https://janes.scholasticahq.com/article/75249-the-altar-at-tel-dothan-a-trace-of-josiah-s-reform |last=Elitzur |first=Yoel |issue=1 |volume=36 |pages=62–89 |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Na’aman |first=Nadav |year=2023 |title="The High Places Which Are in Front of Jerusalem" (2 Kings 23:13): A Proposed Identification |url=https://www.academia.edu/126942301 |journal=Israel Exploration Journal |volume=73 |issue=2 |pages=212–226 |issn=0021-2059 |jstor=27315442}}</ref>

The date of Josiah's death can be established fairly accurately. The [Babylonian Chronicles](/source/Babylonian_Chronicles) date the battle at [Harran](/source/Harran) between the Assyrians and their Egyptian allies against the Babylonians from [Tammuz](/source/Tammuz_(Hebrew_month)) (July–August) to [Elul](/source/Elul) (August–September) 609 BC. On that basis, Josiah was killed in the month of Tammuz (July–August) 609 BC, when the Egyptians were on their way to Harran.<ref>Thiele, ''Mysterious Numbers'' 182, 184–185.</ref>

== See also ==
* [List of artifacts in biblical archaeology](/source/List_of_artifacts_in_biblical_archaeology)

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* ''[The Bible Unearthed](/source/The_Bible_Unearthed): Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts'' for the possible role of Josiah in creation of the [Bible](/source/Bible).
* Hertz, J. H. (1936). ''The Pentateuch and Haftoras''. ''Deuteronomy''. Oxford University Press, London.
* [Friedman, R.](/source/Richard_Elliott_Friedman) (1987). ''Who Wrote the Bible?'' New York: Summit Books.

== External links ==
{{Commons category|King Josiah}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=564&letter=J&search=Josiah Jewish Encyclopedia: Josiah]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08523a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Josias]
* [https://www.kethertomalkuth.net/josiah-king-of-judah Genealogy of the House of David- Josiah, King of Judah]

{{S-start}}
{{s-hou|[House of David](/source/Davidic_line)}}
{{s-bef|before=[Amon](/source/Amon_of_Judah)}}
{{s-ttl|title=[King of Judah](/source/Kingdom_of_Judah)|years=641–610 BCE <br /> <small> Died at Tammuz in July–August 609 BCE </small>}}
{{s-aft|after=[Jehoahaz](/source/Jehoahaz_of_Judah)}}
{{end}}
{{IsraeliteKings}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:640s BC births
Category:600s BC deaths
Category:7th-century BCE kings of Judah
Category:Ancient child monarchs
Category:Deaths by arrow wounds
Category:Eastern Orthodox royal saints
Category:Military personnel killed in action
Category:Monarchs killed in action
Category:People in the Book of Jeremiah
Category:Books of Chronicles people

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Josiah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.