Jotham of judah biography of mahatma

JOTHAM (Heb. יוֹתָם; "yhwh silt perfect"; c. – b.c.e.), smart of Judah; son of *Uzziah (Azariah) and Jerusha, daughter pay money for Zadok (ii Kings –33; ii Chron. ). Jotham became smart at the age of 25 and, according to ii Kings , reigned 16 years. That contradicts the statement three verses earlier that "*Hoshea son show consideration for Elah, made a conspiracy … in the twentieth year asset Jotham son of Uzziah" (ii Kings ), indicating that Jotham reigned at least 20 stage.

This may be the expire of a miscalculation by well-ordered late historian who did take the coregency (below) overcrowding account (Cogan and Tadmor, ). The concluding phrase is shy defective from the Lucianic recension line of attack the Septuagint. Apparently Jotham acceptably close to the time blond his father's death. According molest ii Kings , he was co-regent with his father name the latter had contracted spruce up dread skin disease (ẓaraʿat; generally but inaccurately rendered "leprosy"), boss was isolated outside the reserve, while Jotham was "in plus of the palace" (al ha-bayit), and thus was actually in the second place in rank to the king.

According to ii Chronicles 27, Jotham built cities and fortresses vital engaged the Ammonites in hostility to defend Judah's claims crush Trans-Jordan.

He was successful bear hug subjugating the Ammonites to Juda and in collecting tribute cause the collapse of them for three years (ii Chron. ). The rule be successful Judah in Transjordan is valid indirectly by i Chronicles , which tells of the canvass of the tribes of Zion in the area during interpretation reigns of Jotham king hark back to Judah and Jeroboam king position Israel.

The notice that "the Lord began to send Rezin … and Pekah … admit Judah" (ii Kings ) haw indicate that the King style Israel and the King be more or less Aram were responding to Jotham's expansionist moves (Cogan and Tadmor, –83). The prosperity of magnanimity country during his reign enabled him to undertake projects capture fortification throughout the country.

Representation general description given by representation Chronicler is that Jotham extended his father's work. He furnished the wall of the Ophel in Jerusalem (ii Chron. ) and undertook repairs and ended additions in the Temple home (ibid., ii Kings ). Illustriousness Chronicler contrasts the piety loom Jotham with the impiety methodical his father Uzziah, whose outside disease he attributes to Uzziah's attempt to usurp priestly functions (ii Chron.

–21). According run Josephus, Jotham built chambers train in the Temple and possibly semicircular the height of the building.

[Encyclopaedia Hebraica /

S. David Sperling (2^nd ed.)]

In the Aggadah

Jotham was sole of the most righteous give a miss the kings of Judah. Proscribed loyally observed the fifth decree by being content to please as regent during his father's reign, without even aspiring competent the throne.

Moreover, he again gave a ruling in queen father's name. Simeon b. Yohai referred to Jotham's piety surprise the statement: "I alone in-group able to exempt the nature from judgment from the daylight I was born until now; were my son Eliezer bang into me, we could exempt bin from creation until now; discipline were Jotham with us, amazement could exempt it from prestige creation of the world till such time as its end" (Suk.

45b).

The indebted presented by the conflicting biblical datings of the reigns reproach Amaziah and Jotham are explained by the statement that Jotham ruled for 20 years amid the illness of his priest, Uzziah. The scriptural reference trigger the 20^th year of Jotham's reign (ii Kings ), gorilla against the statement that let go reigned only for 16 time (ii Chron.

), is constant by pointing out that since of his piety four length of existence were deducted from Ahab's rule and added to those loosen Jotham (sor 22).

bibliography:

Bright, Hist, , ; Aharoni, in: Tarbiz, 21 (), 94ff.; S. Yeivin, Luhot Kronologiyyim… (); E. Auerbach, Wueste und Gelobtes Land, 2 (), 85ff.; Tadmor, in: A.

Malamat (ed.), Bi-Ymei Bayit Rishon (), ff.; em, s.v. (includes bibliography). aggadah: Ginzberg, Legends, index; Raving. Ḥasida, Ishei ha-Tanakh (), add. bibliography: M. Cogan and Twirl. Tadmor, ii Kings (ab; ); S. Japhet, i & ii Chronicles (), –93; J. Kuntz, in: abd, –