Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/737

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KINGS


657


KINGS


Phacee became king in the 52nd year of Azarias. Achaz " " " " 17th " " Phacee.

Osee 12th " " Achaz.

Total 81 years to Osee. Azarias reigned 52 years Joatham " 16 " Achaz " 16^ "

Total 84 years to Ezechias. Subtract SI years to Osee There remain 3 years of Osee till Ezechias be- came king.

That the reverse is not the case, that is, that the twelfth year of Achaz is not the result of a calculation, is shown by the fact that the other possible calcula- tions would produce the fourth, and not the twelfth, year of Achaz . The other reckonings are as follows : — 32 years of Azarias 52 years of .\zarias.

20 " " Phacee 16 " " Joatham.

Total 72^ " to Osee 6S " to Achaz.

Less 68^ " to Achaz There remain 4 " of Achaz when Osee becomes king. The year 68 of Azarias = 17 Phacee = 16 Joatham = .\chaz.

^ 4 4 £_

- 20 Joatham = 4 Achaz =

From this it appears that not the " twelfth year of Achaz", but the "twentieth year of Joatham", is


(1) That which is added, II Par., xxx, ,5-9, 11, 25; and x-xxi, 1, about the first year of Ezechias, was not possible while a king ruled in the kingdom of the Ten Tribes.

(2) If Ezechias became king six or seven years be- fore the capture of Samaria, consequently in 728-7, then his reign of twenty-nine years must have ended in 699-8, and his recovery must have taken place fifteen years before, about 713. On this occasion the promise is made to Ezechias that he and his city Jerusalem shall be delivered "out of the hand of the king of the .\ssyrians" (IV Kings, xx, 6). This king was Sennacherib, who ascentled the throne only in 705, while this event, according to Assyrian sources, took place not earlier than 701. There is no ground for assuming that strained relations existed between Ezechias and Sargon (722-705), who, nevertheless, just about 71-3, was engaged with the Philistines, and m 711 conquered Azotus (cf. Is., xx, 1). The cause of serious animosity between Ezechias and Assyria was evidently the embassy of Merodach-Baladan, who had no relations whatever with the King of Juda, and who did not send to him a magnificent embassy to congratulate him on his recovery without some ul- terior motive. We cannot but regard this as an ex-


Juda


Year


Israel


Year


Remarks


Juda


Year


Israel


Year


Remarks



B. C.



B. c.




B.C.



B. c



David


1012







Joas — co-




Solomon


972







reign


799


37 Joas of Juda. Cf.


(Building of the










IV Kings, xiii, 1,


Temple)


969









with V. 10, ibid.


Roboam


933-2


(Jero- 1 (boam If


933-2





" king


797


After his father's death.


Abiam


915





Amasias


796





Asa


913-2


Nadab


912-1





iJero- 1 ( boam II f


782


Reigned 31, not 41,



years.




Baasa


911-0



Azarias


768-7




15 years after the




Ela


8S8-7







death of Joas of




Zambri


SS7-6







Israel. "Seven




Amri


8S7-6 SS2


III Kings, xvi, 15, 16 III Kings, xvi. 23. .^fter the death of Thebni (v. 22)






and twentieth year of Jeroboam" is erroneous. Reigned 32, not




Achab


875*







52, years.


Josaphat — co- reign








Zacharias


750


IS, not 38, of Aza-


874




39 Asa. Cf. II Par..






rias.






xvi. 12


.loatham— regent


750-









4 Achab



49




16 before Achaz.


  • ' king


871*







Sellum


749-8


19 Azarias.




Ochozias


854*


Shortly before Nisan . 853. As late as the summer of 854 , Achab fought with Benadad against Salmanasar


king


736-5


Manahem

Phaceia

Phacee


749-8 738-7 737-6


19 Azarias.

30 Azarias.

32 Azarias.

His third year as king is mentioned in II Par., xxvii, 5




Joram


853*


18 Josaphat. IV Kings, viii, 16, be- ing supposed to read: "In the twentieth year of Josaphat" (from


Achaz


734-3


Osee


730 723


4. not 17, Phacee As vassal of Assyria after the death of Phacee. who only ruled 7 years. Independent. 12 Achaz.






874 on)






Joram


849*







End of




Ochozias— co-





11 Joram of Israel.




Osee


722-1


Capture of Samaria


reign


843




Cf. II Par., xxi. 18 and 19, withxxii,4


Ezechias


718-7




"Third year of Osee" is incorrect.


king


842




12 Joram of Israel


Manasses


689-8




Reigned 45, not 55,


Athalia


842-1


Jehu


842*







years.


Joas


836-5


Joachaz


814-3



.\mon

Josias

Joachaz

Joakim

Joachin

Sedecias

End of Sedecias


643 641

610* 609* 598* 598 587




Capture of Jerusa-


reckoned. The calculation was correct in reganl to Osee's beginning as vassal of Assyria. But some one else confused this with the declaration of indepen- dence of Osee in the twelfth year of .\ehaz. and thus arrived at the "third year of Csee" before the begin- ning of Ezechias, whence resulted further synchronis- tic statements between Osee and Ezechias. That these synchronisms are not historical, but must have been iritroduced into the Bible by a "speculator", is proved by what follows: — VIII.^i2


pression of the unfriendly attitude towards the As- sjTians which was favoured by Ezechias. This is the light in which we can understand the war of the -Assyrian against Juda. But cause and effect must be connected according to time. As to the year 713 or shortly afterwards (for the delivery of Ezechias), there can, then, he no discussion. The year 703 is probably correct; Merodach-Baladan had then regained the throne of Babylon, and Sennacherib already ruled in AssjTia. Thus the recovery of Ezechias would have