Ézéchias

see also: Etymology of Ézéchias

Ézéchias (Hebrew: חזקיה or חזקיהו - " God has renforcé") was the 13 {{E}} king of the Royaume of independent Juda and reigned during 29 years of -716 with -687.

It is during its reign that the kingdom Jew of north was invaded by the troops Assyrie and that its population was off-set. The Royaume of Juda thus had to absorb many refugees Jews at that time coming from north.

The account of the reign is told in the Hebraic Bible in the Second book of the Kings (18-20), the Livre of Isaïe (36-39) and the second Book of the Chronicles (29-32). These sources describe it like a large and good king, according to the example of its grandfather Osias. It introduced reforms reviving the religious traditions and showed determination to abolish the Idolâtrie and its worships in its kingdom. The praises towards this king do not miss in the book of the Kings.

In spite of the disapproval of the prophet Isaïe and the error which had already made the king d' Israël Osée and which had led to the destruction of the kingdom of north, Ézéchias wished to break with the domination Assyrie. Benefitting from died from Sargon II before the takeover of his/her son and successor, Ézéchias required of Egypt if not the contest of its army, at least the sending of horses to fight the invader. To break with the Assyrians, king Ézéchias then ceased sending his tribute to Ninive.

The Assyrian reaction was not made wait well a long time and Sennachérib (or Sancherib), the successor of Sargon II, sent its troops armed on Juda and Egypt, whose access had been made easy because of the tender of Araméens, Phéniciens and the Jews of north. The troops of Koush would be then allied to defend Jerusalem.

To prepare with the Assyrian punitive invasion, Ézéchias made build fortifications, in particular with Ophel, and a tunnel of 533 meters (that archeology found) to allow the water provision since the source of Gihon the Cité of David in the event of seat. After the catch of Lakhish, Sennachérib besieges Jerusalem. Ézéchias, seeing the determination of king d' Assyrie, would then have proposed to pour an important tribute, employing for that the richnesses of the Temple of Jerusalem.

The long Assyrian seat on the city will have probably used the Assyrian troops and the promise of a tribute could make useless a more decisive offensive against the city and the allies of Koush and Egypt. The biblical account tells that the day before the Assyrian attack against Jerusalem, the angel of God would have killed 185.000 of the attackers. Hérodote specified later that the Assyrians would have been victims of an epidemic.

The kingdom of Juda, although weakened by Sennachérib (which will die assassinated by his/her son 17 years later), will succeed in nevertheless maintaining its autonomy until in -587.

The biblical account also tells the miraculous cure of king Ézéchias who was worth the visit of many delegations to him.

Jewish tradition

In the Sanhédrin Treaty of the Guemara, it is taught that Ézéchias could have become the king chosen by God like Messie and that the war carried out by Sennachérib could have been the ultimate war described in biblical prophecies like that of Gog and Magog, if it did not have fault at the time of died of 185.000 Assyrian which besieged Jerusalem.

See too

Chronology of the former kings, 722 to 610 before the common era.

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