OF JUDAH. ZACHARIAH (FIFTEENTH), SHALLUM (SIXTEENTH), MENAHEM

(SEVENTEENTH), PEKAHIAH (EIGHTEENTH),PEKAH (NINETEENTH) KING OF ISRAEL

Accession and Murder of Zachariah - Accession and Death of Shallum - Accession of Menahem -

Taking and Back of Tiphsah -Accession and Victories of Pul or Tiglath-pileser II. of Assyria -

Tribute to Assyria - Accession and Murder of Pekahiah -Military Revolution and Accession of

Pekah - Aooession and Reign of Jotham in Judah - Syro -lsraelitish League against Judah -

Accession of Ahaz in Judah - Character of his Reign - The new Idolatry - Changes in the Temple

and its Worship. (2 KINGS 15:8 -16:18; 2 CHRONICLES 27, 28)

WHILE the kingdom of Judah was enjoying a brief period of prosperity, that of Israel was rapidly

nearing its final overthrow. The deep-seated and wide corruption in the land afforded facilities for

a succession of revolutions, in which one or another political or military adventurer occupied the

throne for a brief period. In the thirteen or fourteen years between the death of Jeroboam II. and

that of Uzziah, the northern kingdom saw no less than four kings (2 Kings 15:8-27), of whom each

was removed by violence. In the thirty-eighth year of Uzziah,* Jeroboam II was succeeded by his

son Zachariah, the fourth and last monarch of the line of Jehu.

* We are writing on the supposition of the correctness of the numbers in the Biblical text.

Holy Scripture here specially marks the fulfillment of Divine prediction (2 Kings 10:30), in the

continuance of this dynasty "unto the fourth generation." Of his brief reign, which lasted only six

months, we read that it was characterized by continuance in the sins of Jeroboam. A conspiracy by

one Shallum, * not otherwise known, issued, not in the private assassination, but in the public**

murder of the king.

* Josephus (Ant. 9. 11, 1) describes him as "a friend" of the king.

** (...) "before the (?) people" - in public view. The LXX., apparently unable to understand the

Hebrew words, have left them un-translated, and made Keblaam the name either of the place

where Zachariah was killed, or else, according to Ewald, of his murderer.

So terribly had all bonds of society been loosened. The regicide occupied the throne for only one

month. Menahem, whom Josephus* describes as the general of Zachariah, advanced** against

Shallum from Tirzah,*** the ancient royal residence, and slew the usurper.

* Ant. u.s.

** According to Josephus, with his army, and gave b attle to Shallum.

*** For a description of Tirzah see Vol. V. of this History.

The assumption of the crown by Menahem seems to have met some resistance. At any rate, we

read of an expedition of Menahem against a place called Tiphsah ("a ford"*), which h ad refused to

open its gates to him. The town and its surrounding district were taken, and Menahem took

horrible vengeance on the population.** The reign of Menahem, which, as regards religion,

resembled that of his predecessors, lasted ten years. But it may truly be characterized as the

beginning of the end. For with it commenced the acknowledged dependence of the northern

kingdom upon Assyria, of which the ultimate outcome was the fall of Samaria and the deportation

of Israel into the land of the conqueror.