Category:House of David (subject)

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The House of David ruled over Judea until the beginning of the Second Temple period.

List of Davidic Kings

Rulers of Judah

Judah was a colony of Samaria (Ahaz walked in the way of the kings of Israel", 2 Kings 16:3)

Took advantage of the fall of the Northern Kingdom to move toward political and religious autonomy. Hezekiah's pro-Egyptian policy provoke the reaction of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, who in 701 invaded the Kingdom of Judah. The city of Lachish was taken and Jerusalem besieged. Hezekiah capitulated, paid the tribute and gave up his dreams of autonomy (see the Annals of Sennacherib). Hezekiah however managed to remain in power.

Was a faithful vassal of Assyria. His reign was the longest of any Judahite king.

Followed the pro-Assyrian policy of his father

Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign, following the assassination of his father. At the beginning his policy did not differ from tat of his predecessors. After 626 BCE the decline of the Assyrian Empire, challenged by the rising power of the Babylonians, giave more freedom to the kingdom of Judah. in 621 BCE Josiah undertook a serie of political and religious reforms, which radically reshaped the religion of the Jews. The goal was to strengthen the unity of the state by centralizing the cult in Jerusalem. In 609 BCE, however, Josiah was defeated and killed in the Battle of Megiddo by the army of Pharaoh Neco, who was going north in the attempt to help the Assyrians agains the Babylonians. Judah fell under Egyptian control (2 Kings 23:26-30).

Riuled only 3 monthes, before being taken captive to Egypt, where he died.

When he was appointed as a vassal king by the Egyptians, his name was changed from Eliakim to Jehoiakim. The leader of the nationalistic party (Jeremiah and Uriah) were persecuted. In 605 the Egyptians were defeated by the Babylonians in the Battle of Charchemish. Judah was now under Babylonian rule (2 Kings 24:1). In 601 Jehoiakim, supported by the Egyptians, rebelled against the Babylonians. Jerusalem was besieged by the Babylonians

Jehoiachin reigned only 3 months before Jerusalem fell. The king was deported as hostage to Babylonian with his court

Zedekiah also rebelled against the Babylonians. Nebuchadnezzar marched into Judah, captured Jerusalem, demolished the walls of the town, and set the Temple on fire (Jer 39:1-10). Zedekiah was imprisoned, blinded, and his sons were killed before him. A new deportation followed ("832 people", according to Jeremiah 52:29). A new vassal king was not appointed, Now in the Babylonian archives Jehoiachin, although still in captivity, was recognized as the "king of Judah". Gedaliah served as governor as Judah (587-582). His assassination caused a third deportation ("745 people", according to Jer 52:30).

Davidic Kings in exile

In 561 Jehoiachin was released from prison and "a throne was given to him higher than that of the other kings whi were with him in Babylon" (2 Kings 25:27-30)

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