JOSIAH, or, in Hebrew, Yoʾshiyyahu, was a king of Judah (c. 640–609 BCE). Josiah came to the throne at eight years of age upon the assassination of his father, Amon. The account of his reign in 2 Kings 22–23 is almost entirely...

(640–609BCE). King of the *Southern Kingdom. According to the author of II *Kings, Josiah was responsible for a thoroughgoing reformation of the cult resulting from the discovery of a version of the Book of *Deuteronomy in the *Temple. In the...

(born &circa; 640 &BC;—died 609 &BC;) King of Judah and religious reformer. He became king at age 8 after the assassination of his father, Amon. As the Assyrian empire crumbled, Judah gained a measure of independence, and in 621 &BC; Josiah began...

The editor and redactor of the Books of *Samuel and *Kings. The Deuteronomic historian is so called because he was influenced by the ideas of the Book of *Deuteronomy including the conviction that the one true *Sanctuary is in *Jerusalem and that the...

Religious reformation in Judah during the reign of King Josiah (&circa; 640–609 &BC;). As Assyria's hold on Israel weakened, Josiah waged a campaign against foreign cults and had their altars and idols removed from the Temple. He called for a...

William F. Albright has dated his reign to 640 BC-609 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 641 BC-609 BC. The chief sources of his reign are 2 Kings 22-23, and 2 Chronicles 34-35, and considerable archaeological evidence document conditions in Judah...