The Second Book of Kings
Chapter Fifteen.
2-Kings. Chapter 15.
Brit-Am Commentary to 2-Kings. Chapter 15.
Contents:
King Azariah (Uzziah) of Judah.
Zechariah King of Israel.
The One Month Reign of King Shallum and Ephraimites East of the Jordan!
King Menachem of Israel.
King Pekahiah of Israel.
King Jotham of Judah.
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2 Kings 15
King Azariah (Uzziah)
of Judah
2 Kings 15
King Azariah (Uzziah) of Judah
[2-Kings 15:1] In the twenty-seventh
year of Jeroboam king of Israel,
Azariah the son of
Amaziah,
king of Judah, became king.
Azariah (meaning "God will Help") is also known as Uziah ("Strength of God",
2-Chronicles 26:1ff, Isaiah 6:1, etc).
Azariah at the age of 16 began to reign alongside his father who had been exiled
by his dissatisfied officials to Lachish in the south of Judah.
Chariot taken as booty by the
Assyrians from Lachish in the Kingdom of Judah.
It may represent one of the innovations of Azariah
that were later copied by other polities of the time.
 |
Concerning Amaziah the father of Azariah it says in 2-Kings 14:19:
And they formed a conspiracy against him
in Jerusalem, and he fled to
Lachish; but they sent after him
to Lachish
and killed him there.
The Sages (Midrash Seder Olam) explained that Amaziah fled to Lachish but the
conspirers against him pursued him there and grievously wounded him. He lingered
on for another fifteen years during which time his son Azariah in Jerusalem
ruled
alongside him. Eventually he died of his wounds.
[2-Kings 15:2] He was sixteen years old
when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His
mother's
name was Jecholiah
of Jerusalem.
These 52 years include 15 years that he reigned alongside his father, i.e. he
reigned ca. 37 years after the death of his father. During much of this time
however he himself was stricken with "leprosy" and his son Jotham reigned
alongside him as we shall see.
(Source Yehudah Kiel, "Daat Mikra").
Jecholiah of Jerusalem the mother of Azariah belonged to one of the important
families of Jerusalem.
The name Jecholiah (pronounced "Yehocaliah") means either "God will Provide"
from the root "calcal" provide or "God Can Do" from the root "YiCoL" "to be
able".
(Source Yehudah Kiel, "Daat Mikra").
cf. Josephus:
Antiquities Book 9; ch.10; s.3
After the same manner did
Uzziah,
the son of Amaziah,
begin to reign over the two tribes in Jerusalem, in the fourteenth year of the
reign of Jeroboam. He was born of
Jecoliah,
his mother, who was a citizen of Jerusalem. He was a good man, and by nature
righteous and magnanimous, and very laborious in taking care of the affairs of
his kingdom. He made an expedition also against the Philistines, and overcame
them in battle, and took the cities of
Gath
and Jabneh,
and brake down their walls; after which expedition he assaulted those Arabs that
adjoined to Egypt. He also built a city upon the Red Sea, and put a garrison
into it. He, after this, overthrew the Ammonites, and appointed that they should
pay tribute. He also overcame all the countries as far as the bounds of Egypt,
and then began to take care of Jerusalem itself for the rest of his life; for he
rebuilt and repaired all those parts of the wall which had either fallen down by
length of time, or by the carelessness of the kings, his predecessors, as well
as all that part which had been thrown down by the king of Israel, when he took
his father Amaziah
prisoner, and entered with him into the city. Moreover, he built a great many
towers, of one hundred and fifty cubits high, and built walled towns in desert
places, and put garrisons into them, and dug many channels for conveyance of
water. He had also many beasts for labor, and an immense number of cattle; for
his country was fit for pasturage. He was also given to husbandry, and took care
to cultivate the ground, and planted it with all sorts of plants, and sowed it
with all sorts of seeds. He had also about him an army composed of chosen men,
in number three hundred and seventy thousand, who were governed by general
officers and captains of thousands, who were men of valor, and of unconquerable
strength, in number two thousand. He also divided his whole army into bands, and
armed them, giving every one a sword, with brazen bucklers and breastplates,
with bows and slings; and besides these, he made for them many engines of war
for besieging of cities, such as cast stones and darts, with grapplers, and
other instruments of that sort.
[2-Kings 15:3] And he did what was right
in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father
Amaziah
had done,
It may be that the righteousness of Azariah was mainly in effect during his co-eval
reign with Amaziah his father.
[2-Kings 15:4] except that the high
places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the
high places.
[2-Kings 15:5] Then the LORD struck the king, so that he was a leper until the
day of his death; so he dwelt in an isolated house. And
Jotham
the king's
son was over the royal house, judging the people of the land.
He became a leper as punishment for trying to make himself the equivalent of a
priest and serve in the Temple.
There is an opinion that the term "leper" used here does not mean "leper" in the
modern Sense. Leprosy in our time applies to Hansen's Disease. Some forms of
this sickness are highly contagious but others much less so. It is said to have
originated in India and spread westward at a much later date.
"Leprosy" in the Bible may be a different type of affliction.
There is even an opinion that the leprosy that struck Azariah is what we now
term "Psoriasis". This is a usually mild skin disease partially associated with
a genetic factor. Azariah would have been stricken with a particularly virulent
form of it.
[2-Kings 15:6] Now the rest of the acts
of Azariah,
and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the
kings of Judah?
[2-Kings 15:7] So Azariah
rested with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of
David. Then Jotham
his son reigned in his place.
The Book of Chronicles gives us much more information about Azariah.
In this series of Brit-Am Biblical Commentaries we hope to give separate
treatment to the Book of Chronicles.
We will therefore for the sake of interest merely summarize the relevant entry
about Azariah (Uzziah) without much commentary.
2-Chronicles 26 tells us how Azariah built up Elath (modern day Elat on the Gulf
of Akaba), "He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in
the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper"
2-Ch.26:5). Azariah fought against the Philistines, conquered territory from
them and built up cities in their area. He also fought against "Arabians", and
against the Meunites. The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah. He built up
Jerusalem, and Judah. He established fortresses, wells, and irrigation works in
desert areas. His reign was marked by an abundance of livestock and agricultural
plenty "for he loved the soil" (2-Ch.26:10).
His army numbered 307,500 warriors. These were all well armed.
Azariah seems to have encouraged innovation and technical achievement. This is
indicated by his agricultural, irrigation, and fortification enterprises.
So too we are told:
2-Ch.26:
15 And he made devices in Jerusalem, invented by skillful men, to be on the
towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. So his fame spread far
and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.
Research, innovation and
invention seem to be Israelite characteristics. In principle I personally am all
for progress and progression. When it comes to practice however I am not always
as enterprising as I should be. When faced with new computer programs and
techniques etc that should be learned I find myself trying to avoid them. Such
is life.
Azariah entered the Temple Area apparently on Yom Kippur. He intended to offer
incense in the Holy of Holies. This task was reserved for the High Priest. The
priests officiating remonstrated with him and while they were arguing Azariah
was stricken with leprosy on his forehead. This could have been a type of
Psoriasis which has both genetic and psychosomatic characteristics. Azariah was
confounded at this event and half-fled and half was forcibly evicted from the
Temple area. Henceforth Azariah lived out his life in a secluded residence while
his son Jotham reigned in his place.
2-Ch.26:
21 King Uzziah
was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because
he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. Then
Jotham
his son was over the king's
house, judging the people of the land.
The Uzziah
Tablet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Uzziah_of_Judah#Uzziah_Tablet
# In 1931 an archeological find, now known as the
Uzziah
Tablet, was discovered by Professor
E.L.
Sukenik
[father of General Yigal
Yadin]
of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. ...The inscription on the tablet is
written in [later Aramaic Type letters] Hebrew.... This style is dated to
around AD 30-70, around 700 years after the supposed death of
Uzziah
of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Nevertheless the inscription is translated, "Hither
were brought the bones of Uzziah,
king of Judah. Not to be opened." It is open to debate whether this really is
the tomb of King Uzziah
or simply a later creation. It may be that there was a later reburial of
Uzziah
here after the Second Temple Period. #
The Uzziah
Earthquake
There was a great earthquake in the Days of King Azariah:
Amos (1:1) dated his prophecy to "two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah
was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel".
Zechariah (14:5) says that in the End Times the Mount of Olives shall split in
two and,
# you shall flee, As you fled from the
earthquake, In the days of Uzziah
king of Judah. #
cf.
Isaiah 6:1 "In the year that king
Uzziah
died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his
train filled the temple."
Zechariah King of Israel.
Reward, Punishment, the Four
Generation Rule, and the 1000 Generation Recompense.
[2-Kings 15:8] In the thirty-eighth year
of Azariah
king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six
months.
Samaria was the capital of Israel. it was also the name of the Province
surrounding the city and sometimes is used as a name for the Kingdom of Israel
altogether.
[2-Kings 15:9] And he did evil in the
sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done; he did not depart from the sins of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
who had made Israel sin.
[2-Kings 15:10] Then
Shallum
the son of Jabesh
conspired against him, and struck and killed him in front of the people; and he
reigned in his place.
[2-Kings 15:11] Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, indeed they are written
in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
[2-Kings 15:12] This was the word of the LORD which He spoke to
Jehu,
saying, 'Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.'
And so it was.
Jehu had been promised that for four generations his descendants would reign
over Israel.
cf. 2-Kings 10:30
And the LORD said to Jehu,
'Because you have done well in doing what is right in My sight, and have done to
the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, your sons shall sit on the throne of
Israel to the fourth generation' [2-Kings 10:30].
The four successors of the Dynasty of Jehu were Jehoahaz, Joash, Jeroboam-2,
Zechariah.
Jehu (as we saw in 2-Kings ch. 10) had received this promise as a reward for
having killed Joram son of Ahab, extirpated the House of Ahab, and (with the
help of Jehonadab the Rechabite) killed the priests of Baal.
Yehudah Kiel ("Daat Mikra" on "Sefer Malachim") makes an interesting
observation:
"Zechariah did not depart from the sins
of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
who had made Israel sin" [2-Kings 15:9]. These sins included the worship
of golden calves in Beth-el and in Dan and in preventing the Israelites from the
north from making the thrice-yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices
on Pesach (passover), Succoth (Tabernacles), and Shavuoth (Pentecost).
God is Merciful. The Attributes of the Almighty are:
6...'The LORD, the LORD God, merciful
and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means
clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and
the children's children to the
third and the fourth
generation.' (Exodus 34:6-7).
For four generations the descendants of Jehu had repeated the same offences:
Of Jehu himself its says:
2-Kings 10:
29 However Jehu
did not turn away from the sins of
Jeroboam the son of
Nebat,
who had made Israel sin, that is, from the golden calves that were at Bethel and
Dan. 30 And the LORD said to Jehu,
'Because you have done well in doing what is right in My sight, and have done to
the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, your sons shall sit on the throne of
Israel to the fourth generation.' 31 But
Jehu
took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart;
for he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin.
Jehoahaz the son of Jehu did the same:
2-Kings 13:
2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of
Jeroboam the son of
Nebat,
who had made Israel sin. He did not depart from them.
Joash (Jehoash) the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu did the same:
2-Kings 13:
11 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins
of Jeroboam the son of
Nebat,
who made Israel sin, but walked in them.
Jeroboam-2 great-grandson of Jehu followed the same path.
2-Kings 14:
23...Jeroboam the son of Joash,
king of Israel, became king in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. 24 And he
did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart from all the sins of
Jeroboam the son of
Nebat,
who had made Israel sin.
Finally Zechariah himself acted in the same way and was killed after 6 months.
The Almighty visits "the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the
fourth generation' (Exodus 34:6-7). This holds with the descendants of
the wicked continue to do wicked deeds. They are then punished not only for
their own misdemeanors but also for those of their forebears. If they repent and
change their ways in time they may avert disaster. Zechariah did not. He was
punished for his own sins but because his immediate ancestors were bad eggs like
himself no leniency was shown and the punishment was relatively immediate.
In the same way as the Almighty punishes HE can also reward.
It is true that the Almighty visits "the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation" but
this (as the Sages point out) only applies when the children and their children
keep on doing evil.
On the other hand they who do good are promised that they will be shown,
# mercy for thousands [of generations],
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin # (Exodus 34:7).
For a moderate investment of a little effort, forbearance, some superficial
self-sacrifice, helping others, and refraining from doing things we usually do
not really want to do anyway we may receive immense rewards.
Now I know that, unlike myself,
most of you are quite prepared to be paragons of virtue for no reward at all. It
is enough to do good for the sake of it.
Even so, the fact that reward has been promised and somehow in some way will
definitely be given does help.
The One Month Reign of King Shallum and Ephraimites East of the Jordan!
[2-Kings 15:13]
Shallum
the son of Jabesh
became king in the thirty-ninth year of
Uzziah
king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
Shallum the son of Jabesh: The Commentaries "Olam HaTanach" and Daat Mikra both
incline to the view that Shallum belonged to a clan that gave its name to (or
took it from?) Jabesh-Gilead east of the Jordan in the territory of
half-Manasseh. The fact that Shallum and Menachem who succeeded him and other
kings (such as Jehu) came from this region is said to be indicative of its
wealth and influence.
One source opined that the region east of the Jordan that only encompassed two
and a half of the Tribes (Reuiben, Gad, half-Manasseh) contributed about half of
the economy.
Amos berates the "cows of the Bashan" meaning the rich wives of Cattle ranchers
in Bashan east and notheast of the Jordan. These may have had residences in
Samaria where their husbands left them to live it up. They would spend their
live in luxury and consumerizing for the sake of it while making demands on
their husbands for more money. Their men-folk would then get the extra funds by
exploiting the poor and vulnerable.
Amos 4:
1 Hear this word, you cows of
Bashan, who are on the mountain
of Samaria,
Who oppress the poor,
Who crush the needy,
Who say to your husbands, 'Bring wine, let us drink!'
2 The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness:
Behold, the days shall come upon you
When He will take you away with fishhooks,
And your posterity with fishhooks.
3 You will go out through broken walls,
Each one straight ahead of her,
And you will be cast into Harmon,
Says the LORD.
These verses actually predict the future exile of the Ten Tribes.
See the Brit-Am Commentary to Amos:
http://britam.org/amos.html
We show there that the Name for Bashan was also rendered as Basilia and this
name later became that of Scandinavia.
Amos 1:3-4 in effect says in the Hebrew original that the exiles will be taken
partly to the mountains of Mani (Armenia and the Caucasus) and partly overseas
in ships. This is what happened.
Regarding the rich cows of Bashan,
In the State of Israel nowadays the median income is low while the average is
not i.e. the ordinary worker is poorly paid but a lot of the moderately rich
have incomes equivalent to those of the USA. The upper classes drive up the
prices to levels they can afford but the lower classes suffer. There is a de
facto freeze on building in Judah and Samaria. Building start -ups elsewhere in
the country are also impeded by needless bureaucracy etc. The results is a
severe lack of housing. Lower income groups who do not own their homes suffer.
On the other hand real-estate values are artificially inflated so that many of
those who do own property are quite pleased with the situation.
Getting back to the land of Gilead:
This was an extremely rich area and still could be once again.
The on-line Brit-Am republication of Franz Kobler , " The Vision was There",
tells us concerning Lawrence Oliphant in 1856:
http://www.britam.org/vision/koblerpart4.html#Laurence
# He chose Gilead in what is now Jordan,
"the most fertile part of Palestine", and felt that he had found the future Land
of Promise. His book, The Land of Gilead, published in 1880, contains a detailed
description of the country and the people. His project envisaged the foundation
of an Ottoman Chartered Company with the object of
colonising
a million and a half acres. The future settlers who were to be granted Turkish
citizenship were to be drawn from the Russian Pale of Settlement, from Rumania,
and from the Turkish Empire. The settlement was to enjoy autonomy within the
framework of the Ottoman Empire. #
Lawrence Oliphant had a plan to settle Jewish settlers in Gilead.
Prophecy however indicates that the coming Israelite re-settlement of this area
will be cone by Ephraim.
Zechariah 10:
7 Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,
And their heart shall rejoice as if with wine.
Yes, their children shall see it and be glad;
Their heart shall rejoice in the LORD.
8 I will whistle for them and gather them,
For I will redeem them;
And they shall increase as they once increased.
9 I will sow them among the peoples,
And they shall remember Me in far countries;
They shall live, together with their children,
And they shall return.
10 I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt,
And gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
Until no more room is found for them.
Ephraim will initially settle east of the Jordan.
The word translated in Zechariah 10:10 as Egypt is Mitsrayim which could also
refer to a region in present-day Kurdistan.
See:
The Return of Ephraim
http://britam.org/USAMatsor.html
The Exiles from the Lost Ten Tribes were taken to Assyria as well as to "Mitsraim"
which is translated as Egypt
and this could be the meaning though the term "Mitsraim" was an alternative for
"Matsor" or this northern area of Kurdistan.
At all events the exiles of Israel who were exiled to those areas will return
and at least part of them may return through the area of "Matsor" .
The Almighty says HE will bring the returnees to Gilead and Lebanon but there
will not be enough room for all of them.
Gilead means Syria and Lebanon means Lebanon. These areas will be re-populated
by the Lost Ten Tribes represented by "Ephraim".
[Micah 7:12] IN THAT DAY ALSO HE SHALL
COME EVEN TO THEE FROM ASSYRIA,
AND FROM THE FORTIFIED CITIES [Matsor-Kurdistan],
AND FROM THE FORTRESS [Matsor-Kurdistan],
EVEN TO THE RIVER [Euphrates], AND FROM SEA TO SEA, AND FROM MOUNTAIN TO
MOUNTAIN.
MESSAGE TO OUR SOLDIERS AND CITIZENS CONCERNING
THE PRESENT CONFRONTATION
http://britam.org/war3.html
Micah foresaw Ephraim returning to east of the Jordan!
Micah 7:
14 Shepherd Your people with Your staff,
The flock of Your heritage,
Who dwell solitarily in a woodland,
In the midst of Carmel;
Let them feed in Bashan
and Gilead,
As in days of old.
We see here that the Israelites when they return will at first be in Bashan and
Gilead meaning east of the Jordan.
King
Menachem
of Israel.
[2-Kings 15:14] For
Menahem
the son of Gadi
went up from Tirzah,
came to Samaria, and struck
Shallum the son of
Jabesh
in Samaria and killed him; and he reigned in his place.
King Menachem is referred t in Assyrian inscriptions as "Meinikhimme al
Samerinaa" i.e. Menachem of Samaria.
The Hebrew says, "Menachem ben Gadi" which is understood to mean "Menachem from
the Tribe of Gad" (Daat Mikra).
"Tirzah" was to the east of Samaria. It was renowned for its beauty,
Song of Solomon 6:
4 O my love, you are as beautiful as
Tirzah,
Lovely as Jerusalem,
Tirzah was one of the five daughters of Zelophehad from the Tribe of Manasseh
(Numbers 26:33).
These daughters gave their names to regions in the western portion of Menasseh
as shown by archaeological findings.
#
Tirzah
superseded Shechem
as capital of the Northern Kingdom (1 Kings 14:17, etc.), and itself gave place
in turn to Samaria. Here reigned Jeroboam,
Nadab
his son, Baasha,
Elah
and Zimri
(1 Kings 15:21, 33; 1 Kings 16:6, 8, 9, 15). #
http://bibleatlas.org/regional/tirzah.htm
The whole area of Samaria is very attractive and some spots are incredibly
beautiful.
Daat Mikra suggests that Menachem had been some kind of royal official who set
himself up in opposition to Menachem using Tirzah the former capital as his base
and from there taking over the whole kingdom.
[2-Kings 15:15] Now the rest of the acts
of Shallum,
and the conspiracy which he led, indeed they are written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Israel.
The Sages said that up unto Shallum the Kings of Israel were at the same level
as the Kings of Judah but after that they were of a much lower
quality.
[2-Kings 15:16] Then from
Tirzah,
Menahem
attacked Tiphsah,
all who were there, and its territory. Because they did not surrender, therefore
he attacked it. All the women there who were with child he ripped open.
Tiphsah is otherwise known as Thapsacus. It was on the Euphrates River in the
north. Some say it was close to Carcamish on the Euphrates.
Other sources suggest that its territory extended eastward to Gaugamela on the
Tigris River.
The 1911 Britannica notes that "after
various attempts at identification, it has apparently been correctly identified
by J. P. Peters (Nation, May 23, 1889) and B. Moritz (Sitz.-Ber.
d. Berl.
Akad.,
July 25, 1889). The name may survive in
Kal'at
Dibse,
"a small ruin 8 m[iles]
below Meskene,
and 6 m[iles]
below the ancient Barbalissus."
Meskene is the place known in ancient times as Emar but Thapsacus (Tiphsah) may
have been more to the east.
See the Maps below derived from those supplied by Biblos Com.
Thapsacus was on the border area between Israel and the north. Daat Mikra
suggests that it was part of the region that King Jeroboam-2 had reconquered.
Its population was probably Aramaeans. They had rebelled against Israel and may
have exterminated the local Israelites as was tyhe practice of the Aramaeans.
See the Prophecy by Elisha concerning Hazael,
'Because I know the evil that you will
do to the children of Israel: Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their
young men you will kill with the sword; and you will dash their children, and
rip open their women with child.' (2-Kings 8:12).
' For three transgressions of
Damascus, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron. (Amos 1:3).
Josephus however ( Antiquities of the Jews, Book 9 section 228 ) states that the
inhabitants of Thapsacus at the time were Israelites and it was his own people
whom Menachem massacred!!
We disagree with this but such events in history have happened.
The identification of Tiphsah with Thapsacus on the Euphrates (at least the one
intended in 2-Kings 15:16) is not accepted by many modern commentators.
They may accept that the Empire of King Solomon reached unto the Euphrates and
that once again Jeroboam-2 had extended his dominion up to it a few years
previously. By this time however they claim circumstances had changed, Menachem
himself was not firmly established in his own capital, other nations had come to
the fore, and there was no reason or logic in Menachem campaigning so far away.
Our impression however is different.
The Israelites from the time of Joshua had reached up to the Euphrates and
beyond. Tribal groups had scattered and settled throughout the area. Other
peoples were also to be found there. These were either remnants of the original
natives or newcomers who had percolated into the region and occupied available
areas. The result was that Israelite groups were to be found in some cases as
isolated groups, minorities in their own territories and lacking territorial
contiguity with their fellow Hebrews. There were periods when foreigners ruled
over them and at other times they asserted suzerainty.
It could be that indeed the Aramaeans in Tiphsah had attacked Israelites in that
area and Menachem was responding in kind.
As for campaigning far from home when the situation in his own neighborhood was
uncertain we may point out that this was not unknown in ancient times. Roman
history is full of such instances.
Menachem may well have derived an infusion of Israelite manpower through his
activities in the north as well as goods, wealthy, and weaponry from the spoils.
The Maccabees (Hasmoneans) much later in Judah though operating over a smaller
range carried out a similar policy.
In Maccabean times there was the home base area of Judah in the south as well
groups of Judaeans scattered throughout the region.
These Judaeans were in constant danger of being massacred by their neighbors.
The Maccabees would conquer the neighboring regions,
in many cases bring the Jewish inhabitants back into Judah and then re-expand
through planned colonization and pacification sometimes accompanied by
proselytization amongst the natives though it is not certain what this actually
meant in practice..
[2-Kings 15:1 7] In the thirty-ninth
year of Azariah
king of Judah, Menahem
the son of Gadi
became king over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
[2-Kings 15:18] And he did evil in the
sight of the LORD; he did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the
son of Nebat,
who had made Israel sin.
[2-Kings 15:19]
Pul
king of Assyria came against the land; and
Menahem
gave Pul
a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to strengthen the
kingdom under his control.
Pul is identified with Tiglathpileser of Assyria. It is said that Pul was the
name of Tiglathpileser before he became monarch.
In a study we made we came to different conclusion (see "Lost Israelite
Identity": "Menasseh")
http://britam.org/Menasseh.html#Manasseh
The indications are that there were two kings name Pul one of whim may have been
Tiglathpileser. Both were involved with the fate of Israel. The first Pul was a
separate ruler who preceded Tiglathpileser though Tiglathpileser at the
beginning of his reign may also have referred to himself as Pul.
[2-Kings 15:20] And
Menahem
exacted the money from Israel, from all the very wealthy, from each man fifty
shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned
back, and did not stay there in the land.
Wikipedia tells us:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menahem
##
Tiglath-Pileser
III of Assyria began his reign in 745 BC three years before
Menahem
became king of Israel.
During Menahem's
reign, the Assyrians first entered the kingdom of Israel, and had also invaded
Aram
Damascus to the north-east: "And
Pul, king of the Assyrians, came
into the land". (2 Kings 15:19) The Assyrians may have been invited into Israel
by the Assyrian party. Hosea speaks of the two anti-Israelite parties, the
Egyptian and Assyrian. (Hosea 7:11)
To maintain independence, Menahem
was forced to pay a tribute of a thousand talents of silver (2 Kings 15:19) -
which is about 37 tons (about 34 metric tons) of silver. It is now generally
accepted that Pul
referred to in 2 Kings 15:19 is
Tiglath-Pileser III of the
cuneiform inscriptions. Pul
was probably his personal name and the one that first reached Israel.
Tiglath-Pileser
records this tribute in one of his inscriptions.
To pay the tribute, Menahem
exacted fifty shekels of silver - about 1 1/4 pounds or 0.6 kg - from all the
mighty men of wealth of the kingdom. (2 Kings 15:20) To collect this amount,
there would have had to be at the time some 60,000 "that were mighty and rich"
in the kingdom.
After receiving the tribute,
Tiglath-Pileser
returned to Assyria. However, from that time the kingdom of Israel was a
tributary of Assyria; and when
Hoshea some ten years later
refused to pay any more tribute, it started a sequence of events which led to
the destruction of the kingdom and the deportation of its population. ##
King Menachem Recalled in an Assyrian Inscription
http://www.biblehistory.net/Menahem.pdf
Extract:
MENAHEM
Located within the Israel Museum is an artifact known as the Iran Stele named
after the place where
it was discovered. The artifact records the military campaigns of the Assyrian
ruler Tiglath-Pileser
during
his first nine years as king.
The text on this artifact also mentions that
King Menahem
of Israel, who reigned in Samaria,
sent him a gift of silver, and that because of this gift
he allowed Menahem
to continue to rule.
The text states:
'I received tribute from . . .Rezon
of Damascus, Menahem
of Samaria, Hiram of Tyre,
. . . gold, silver, . . .'
'In my former campaigns I considered all the cities . . . that I carried away as
booty and . . . the
place of Samaria only did I leave their king.'
ANET
283
Newsletter Summer 2010
http://www.biblehistory.net/Menahem.pdf
[2-Kings 15:21] Now the rest of the acts
of Menahem,
and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the
kings of Israel?
[2-Kings 15:22] So Menahem
rested with his fathers. Then
Pekahiah his son reigned in his
place.
King
Pekahiah.
[2-Kings 15:23] In the fiftieth year of
Azariah
king of Judah, Pekahiah
the son of Menahem
became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.
The name Pekahiah (pronounced more like "Pekach-iyah") has been explained as
meaning "the Lord opened his eyes"; in Greek "Phaceia".
Pekah in Hebrew as well as meaning "open eyes" also connotes "intelligence,
perspicacity".
[2-Kings 15:24] And he did evil in the
sight of the LORD; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of
Nebat,
who had made Israel sin.
King
Pekah.
[2-Kings 15:25] Then
Pekah
the son of Remaliah,
an officer of his, conspired against him and killed him in Samaria, in the
citadel of the king's house, along with
Argob
and Arieh;
and with him were fifty men of Gilead. He killed him and reigned in his place.
The name Pekah (pronounced more like "Pekach") probably means the same as
Pekahiah but lacks the "-yah" (meaning "God") suffix.
Perhaps this is an ironical reflection of Israelite history?
They did not change their ways. They went from bad to worse.
The name of one king ("Pekahiah") reflects the wish that the Almighty might open
his eyes and lead him back to the right path.
The name of the king ("Pekah") merely reflects the wish that his eyes might be
opened. The Almighty has already been forgotten!
Pekah killed Pekahiah along with Argob and Arieh and fifty mean from Gilead.
Pekahiah son of Menachem was from the Tribe of Gad.
The name Argob (as pointed out by Daat Mikra) was also that of an area east of
the Jordan cf.
# Ben-Geber,
in Ramoth
Gilead; to him belonged the towns of
Jair
the son of Manasseh, in Gilead; to him also belonged the region of
Argob
in Bashan?sixty
large cities with walls and bronze gate-bars (1-Kings 4:14).#
So too, the name "Arieh" means lion and the Tribe of Gad was likened unto a
lion,
Deuteronomy 33:
20 And of Gad he said: Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And
tears the arm and the crown of his head.
[2-Kings 15:26] Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did,
indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
In the time of Pekah (who succeeded Pekahiah) the exile of the northern Tribes in the Galilee was to take
place.
The exile of the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan may have already
occurred as we shall see below.
Josephus (Antiquities Book 9; ch.11, s.1) tells us concerning these last
monarchs:
And after this manner it was that this
Menahem
continued to reign with cruelty and barbarity for ten years. But when
Pul,
king of Assyria, had made an expedition against him, he did not think meet to
fight or engage in battle with the Assyrians, but he persuaded him to accept of
a thousand talents of silver, and to go away, and so put an end to the war. This
sum the multitude collected for
Menahem, by exacting fifty
drachme
as poll-money for every head; after which he died, and was buried in Samaria,
and left his son Pekahiah
his successor in the kingdom, who followed the barbarity of his father, and so
ruled but two years only, after which he was slain with his friends at a feast,
by the treachery of one Pekah,
the general of his horse, and the son of
Remaliah,
who laid snares for him. Now this
Pekah
held the government twenty years, and proved a wicked man and a transgressor.
But the king of Assyria, whose name was
Tiglath-Pileser,
when he had made an expedition against the Israelites, and had overrun all the
land of Gilead, and the region beyond Jordan, and the adjoining country, which
is called Galilee, and Kadesh,
and Hazor,
he made the inhabitants prisoners, and transplanted them into his own kingdom.
And so much shall suffice to have related here concerning the king of Assyria.
[2-Kings 15:27] In the
fifty-second year of Azariah
king of Judah, Pekah
the son of Remaliah
became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
[2-Kings 15:28] And he did evil in the
sight of the LORD; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of
Nebat,
who had made Israel sin.
The Beginning of Israelite Exile.
[2-Kings 15:29] In the days of
Pekah
king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser
king of Assyria came and took
Ijon, Abel Beth
Maachah,
Janoah,
Kedesh,
Hazor,
Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of
Naphtali;
and he carried them captive to Assyria.
Me'am Loaz in the light of Abarbanel summarizes the most accepted traditional
Jewish conception of the order of Exile:
#
Scripture now tells us of the second exile that happened to the Israelites. The
first was when Pul
King of Assyria attacked the two and half tribes east of the Jordan and exiled
Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and brought them to
Halah,
Habor,
Hara, and the river of Gozan
(1-Chronicles 5:26). he also took the golden calf from Dan and went off with
it. Eight years later in the time of
Pekah
son of Rammaliah
and Uzziahu
[of Judah] Tiglath-Pileser
king of Assyria came and took
Ijon, Abel Beth
Maachah,
Janoah,
Kedesh,
Hazor,
Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of
Naphtali;
and he carried them captive to Assyria. This is what is recalled in the verse
above [2-Kings 15:29]. Isaiah prophesied concerning this exile, "HE BROUGHT INTO
CONTEMPT THE LAND OF ZEBULUN
AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI"
[Isaiah 9:1]. Tiglathpileser
then took the second gold calf which was in Beth-el as spoken by Hosea (10: 6),
"The idol also shall be carried to Assyria". Nine years later more Israelites
were exiled in the time of King Hosea son of
Elah.
Later in the time of King Hezekiah of Judah,
Salmaneser
of Assyria invaded and exiled the inhabitants of Samaria. Eight years later
Sancherib
came and took from the Kingdom of Judah the inhabitants of 150 provinces in the
territories of Judah and Simeon....#
We will return to this subject. It is interesting to note here however that four (instead of three as usually reckoned)
stages of exile are given for the inhabitants of Israel followed by an exile
from Judah and Simeon. These exiles were apparently exiled tot he same areas as
the other tribes and are considered as part of them.
Cam Rea: "Sometimes They Come Back. The
Assyrian Exile"
http://www.britam.org/CamReaAssyria.html
associates the settlements named in the verse above [2-Kings 15:29] with
Israelite Tribes and shows how archaeological evidence reveals the complete
destruction of Israelite settlements after the Assyrian invasions.
We also spoke of this and adduced additional sources in our work "Lost Israelite
Identity".
This was the exile of the northern Galilee.
It also includes the Gilead which was east of the Jordan.
The tribes east of the Jordan were Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh. Most of these
had already been exiled presumably before-hand though another opinion says that
it was shortly afterwards. At all events they too were taken away.
1-Chronicles 5:
25 And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot
after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.
26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of
Pul
king of Assyria, that is,
Tiglath-Pilneser king of Assyria.
He carried the Reubenites,
the Gadites,
and the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He took them to
Halah,
Habor,
Hara, and the river of Gozan
to this day.
See also:
EXILE, ASSYRIAN
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/
judaica/ejud_0002_0006_0_06182.html
Tiglath-pileser III makes mention of conquering Naphtali, and his conquest of
the coast in his inscription.
*** on the border of
the Land of Omri
[viz. Israel] ...
the wide land of Naphtali
in its entirety,
I brought within the border of Assyria.
My official (tartan) I set over them as governor.
Hanno
of Gaza fled before my weapons.
Note that the land of Northern Israel is referred to as Land of Omri. Omri in
Assyrian pronunciation was Ghomri or Gomri which is almost identical to names
given to the Cimmerians (Gimria, Gumri) or in Biblical terms Gomer.
The Exile northern Israelites were destined to amalgamate with the Cimmerians
and become known also as Gomer.
So too Israel as associated with Joseph and the future redemption in Jewish
mystical tradition may be referred to as Gomer.
GOMER
is a Name of Israelites!
According to Rabbi Yisrael
Alter ("Beis
Yisroel"),
Rabbi of of Gur!
http://www.britam.org/GOMER2.html
Gomer
http://www.britam.org/Proof/Attributes/roleGomer.html
King Pekah of Israel in alliance with Rezin King of Aram-Syro attacked Judah.
The Israelites and Aramaeans appear to have been in some kind of de facto
alliance with the Philistines and Edomites who also broke out in war against
Judah at the same time. King Ahaz of Judah sent treasures to Assyria asking for
assistance which was given. This is discussed in the next chapter (2-Kings 16)
and we will deal with it there.
[2-Kings 15:30] Then
Hoshea
the son of Elah
led a conspiracy against Pekah
the son of Remaliah,
and struck and killed him; so he reigned in his place in the twentieth year of
Jotham
the son of Uzziah.
An inscription of Tiglath Pileser says: "Pekah their king they had overthrown,
I placed Hoshea over them. From him I received 10 talents of gold and 1000
talents of silver."
[2-Kings 15:31] Now the rest of the
acts of Pekah,
and all that he did, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of
the kings of Israel.
Kings of Ancient Israel
United Monarchy of Israel
Saul - Ish-bosheth
David, Solomon, Rehoboam
Northern Kingdom of Israel
Jeroboam I, Nadab
Baasha, Elah
Zimri
Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah, Joram/Jehoram
Jehu, Jehoahaz, Joash/Jehoash, Jeroboam II , Zechariah
Shallum
Menahem, Pekahiah
Pekah, Hoshea
King Jotham of Judah
[2-Kings 15-32] In the second year of
Pekah
the son of Remaliah,
king of Israel, Jotham
the son of Uzziah,
king of Judah, began to reign.
Jotham in Hebrew is pronounced as "Yotam". Alternate dialectical forms of
pronunciation include "Yosom" (Ashkenazi Hebrew) and "Yothom"
Yemenite and possibly Biblical Hebrew). The name Jotham can mean "Orphan" and
express a plea to the Almighty to act as a Father should towards His people.
Another explanation of the name is "Ya-tom" i.e. "God is Perfect".
Kings of Judah
Saul - David - Solomon -
Rehoboam
- Abijah
- Asa
- Jehoshaphat
- Jehoram
- Ahaziah
- Athaliah
- J(eh)oash
- Amaziah
- Uzziah/Azariah
- Jotham
- Ahaz
- Hezekiah - Manasseh - Amon
- Josiah - Jehoahaz
- Jehoiakim
- Jeconiah/Jehoiachin
- Zedekiah
Roughly speaking the Kings of Judah, Jotham, Ahaza, and Hezekiah are those who
reigned at the time the northern Ten Tribes were taken by stages into Exile.
After Hezekiah the Kingdom of Israel no longer existed. Only the Kingdom of
Judah remained.
[2-Kings 15-33] He was twenty-five years
old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's
name was Jerusha
the daughter of Zadok.
Jotham was co-regent with his father Uzziah who is also known as Azariah. King
Uzziah had been smitten with leprosy and so Jothan ruled besides him and may
have died before him. Jotham was a righteous ruler.
[2-Kings 15-34] And he did what was
right in the sight of the LORD; he did according to all that his father
Uzziah
had done.
[2-Kings 15-35] However the high places
were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high
places. He built the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD.
He built impressive buildings in the vicinity of the Upper Gate what already
existed (Me'am Lo'az).
[2-Kings 15-36] Now the rest of the acts
of Jotham,
and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the
kings of Judah-
More information concerning Jotham is found in the Book of Chronicles:
2-Chronicles 27:
3 He built the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD, and he built extensively on
the wall of Ophel.
4 Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he
built fortresses and towers. 5 He also fought with the king of the Ammonites and
defeated them. And the people of
Ammon gave him in that year one
hundred talents of silver, ten thousand
kors
of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The people of
Ammon
paid this to him in the second and third years also. 6 So
Jotham
became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.
cf. Josephus, "Antiquities" Book 9; Chapter 2;
2. Now
Jotham
the son of Uzziah
reigned over the tribe of Judah in Jerusalem, being a citizen thereof by his
mother, whose name was Jerusha.
This king was not defective in any virtue, but was religious towards God, and
righteous towards men, and careful of the good of the city (for what part
soever
wanted to be repaired or adorned he magnificently repaired and adorned them). He
also took care of the foundations of the cloisters in the temple, and repaired
the walls that were fallen down, and built very great towers, and such as were
almost impregnable; and if any thing else in his kingdom had been neglected, he
took great care of it. He also made an expedition against the Ammonites, and
overcame them in battle, and ordered them to pay tribute, a hundred talents, and
ten thousand cori
of wheat, and as many of barley, every year, and so augmented his kingdom, that
his enemies could not despise it, and his own people lived happily.
[2-Kings 15-37] In those days the LORD
began to send Rezin
king of Syria and Pekah
the son of Remaliah
against Judah.
Rezin of Aram (Syria) and Pekah of Israel began to attack Judah in the
time of Jotham.
Their attacks were to intensify during the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham.
[2-Kings 15-38] So
Jotham
rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David
his father. Then Ahaz
his son reigned in his place.
To Be Continued!
