Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/737

 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