Josiah (Koine Greek: Ἰωσίας; Latin: Iosias) [1] or Yoshiyahu (Biblical Hebrew: יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ, romanized: Yōʾšiyyāhū, lit. 'healed or supported by Yahweh ') was the 16th king of Judah (c. 640 –609 BC). Described as "one of Judah’s most important kings," his reign likely marked a turning point in the development of Yahwism. [2] According to the Hebrew Bible, Josiah ...
Josiah was the son of King Amon and the grandson of King Manasseh —both of them wicked kings of Judah. Yet Josiah was a godly king and known as one of the world’s youngest kings; he began his reign at age 8 after his father was assassinated. A highlight of Josiah’s reign was his rediscovery of the Law of the Lord.
The people of Judah deeply mourned Josiah’s passing, recognizing him as one of the last righteous kings before the eventual downfall of Jerusalem. In the longer arc of redemptive history, Josiah’s reign highlights the power of returning to Scripture, honoring the covenant, and diligently rooting out unbelief.
JOSIAH jō sī’ ə (יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ; LXX ̓Ιωσίας, G2739, may the Lord support or heal). Name of a king of Judah, son of Amon and Jedidah (below), and the name of a contemporary of the prophet Zechariah (Zech 6:10). 1. Chronology. Josiah’s reign of thirty-one years (2 Kings 22:1) ended with his death in battle at Megiddo, now firmly dated in 609 b.c. (June/July). The ...
Josiah (born c. 648 bce —died 609) was the king of Judah (c. 640–609 bce), who set in motion a reformation that bears his name and that left an indelible mark on Israel’s religious traditions (2 Kings 22–23:30). Josiah was the grandson of Manasseh, king of Judah, and ascended the throne at age eight after the assassination of his father, Amon, in 641. For a century, ever since Ahaz ...