Ahaziah (Israel)

Ahaziah († 849 or 852 BC), was king of Israel . His reign lasted two years and is dated 850–849 BC. BC ( Albright ) or 853–852 BC Chr. ( Thiele ) dated.

etymology

The Hebrew personal name "Ahaziah" has been handed down in two different spellings: אֲחַזְיָהוּ 'ǎḥazjāhû andאֲחַזְיָה 'ǎḥazjāh . It is a verb sentence name, consisting of subject and predicate. Subject (and at the same time theophoric element) is a form of " YHWH " (יָהוּ jāhû orיָה jāh ), the predicate derives from the verb rootאחז 'ḥz , German' to grab ' from. The name can be translated as "YHWH has seized". The Septuagint gives the name as Οχοζιας Ochozias , the Vulgate as Ohozias .

Biblical narration

Ahaziah was the son of King Ahab and Jezebel . According to the account in the Book of Kings ( 1 Kings 22.52 EU - 2 Kings 1.18 EU ), he was appointed to succeed his father after he was killed in the battle against the Arameans in Gilead . Like his father, he persecuted the followers of YHWH -Glaubens and promoted the Baal cult . The Moabites fell away from Israel at this time. Ahaziah, like his father, was allied with king Jehoshaphat ; however, a joint fleet expedition failed.

As a result of a fall through the bars of his upper room in his palace in Samaria, Ahaziah fell ill, whereupon he asked the god of Ekron , Baal-Sebub ( Beelzebub ), about his fate. The prophet Elijah criticized this because the king should have consulted YHWH. That is why Elijah prophesied that the king would not recover from his illness. Ahaziah died soon after. His brother Joram succeeded him in the royal office because Ahaziah died childless.

literature

J. Frederic McCurdy: AHAZIAH, King of Israel. In: Isidore Singer (Ed.): Jewish Encyclopedia . Volume 1, Funk and Wagnalls, New York 1901-1906, p. 286 .

Individual evidence

^ William Foxwell Albright
^ Edwin Richard Thiele: The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings . Kregel, 1994, ISBN 978-0-8254-3825-7 , p. 10 (there Ahaziah )
↑ Hans Rechenmacher : Old Hebrew names , Münster 2012, p. 144.

predecessor	Office	successor
Ahab	King of Israel 853–852 BC Chr.	Joram

personal data
SURNAME	Ahaziah
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	King of Israel (around 853–852 BC)
DATE OF BIRTH	9th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	around 852–849 BC Chr.
Place of death	Samaria , Northern Kingdom of Israel

[1] William Foxwell Albright

[2] Edwin Richard Thiele: The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings . Kregel, 1994, ISBN 978-0-8254-3825-7 , p. 10 (there Ahaziah )

[3] Hans Rechenmacher : Old Hebrew names , Münster 2012, p. 144.