Understanding Hezekiah of Judah by Carta

Understanding Hezekiah of Judah - Carta Books

A new thought–provoking exposition of the political and religious developments in the kingdom of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah, based on a close reading of biblical and extra-biblical sources, and the insights of associated archaeological finds.

Among the major discussions:

• Hezekiah’s reform of the Israelite cult—the elimination of rural altars and the centralization of all worship in the Temple of Jerusalem;
• The introduction of literary prophecy and its social message into Judah;
• Jerusalem’s deliverance during the Assyrian campaign against Judah in 701 bce.

Indeed, the Age of Hezekiah proves to have been a key stage in the growth and transformation of Jerusalem into the Holy City.

Full quotation of ancient texts, illuminated by numerous maps and illustrations.

Excerpt from Introduction:  

"Indeed Hezekiah was the first king of the House of David to carry out a wide-ranging reform of the Israelite cult that resulted in the elevation of the Temple of Jerusalem to the status of the central shrine of the kingdom.  More than a half-millennium later, in the Hellenistic period, his piety was recalled by the wisdom teacher Ben Sirah, who included Hezekiah among the praiseworthy ancestors of Israel, alongside David and Josiah."

Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Sources for the Study of the Reign of Hezekiah
3. The Cult Reforms of Hezekiah
4. Governing the Kingdom
5. Literary Prophecy Reaches Judah
6. The Cultural Scene at Court
7. The King's Near-fatal Illness
8. The Kingdom of Judah as an Assyrian Tributary
9. The Rebellion against Assyria in 705-701 BCE
10. The Singularity of Jerusalem
11. Epilogue

About the Author:  Mordechai Cogan, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of Biblical History at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  He has written widely on the political and cultural connections between ancient Israel and the empires of the ancient Near East.  He is the author of many studies and books, commentaries.

23 × 30 cm (9 × 12 in.); 40 pp.; paperback

Imported from Israel