Ahaz

Life and work

Ahaz became king at twenty and reigned sixteen years, and unlike most of his predecessors the text records nothing positive about him, saying he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, made idols, and even 'burned his son as an offering,' following the abhorrent practices of the nations the LORD had driven out (2 Kings 16:1-4; 2 Chronicles 28:1-4).

When Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Aram besieged Jerusalem, hoping to force Judah into an anti-Assyrian coalition, the prophet Isaiah met Ahaz and urged him to trust God rather than fear them, offering him any sign he wished; Ahaz refused to ask, so Isaiah announced the sign would be a child called Immanuel, born before the two threatening kings themselves were defeated (Isaiah 7:1-16).

Instead of trusting that promise, Ahaz sent silver and gold from the temple and palace to Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria, asking him to attack Aram and Israel; Assyria complied, but the text notes Tiglath-pileser 'afflicted him and did not help him,' and Ahaz's tribute stripped Judah's treasuries (2 Kings 16:5-9; 2 Chronicles 28:16-21).

After visiting Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser, Ahaz was struck by an altar he saw there and had his priest Uriah build an exact copy for the Jerusalem temple, on which he then insisted on offering sacrifices himself, also rearranging temple furnishings to accommodate Assyrian religious practice (2 Kings 16:10-18). Judah also suffered military losses to Edom and the Philistines during his reign (2 Chronicles 28:17-19).

Extra-biblical evidence

Scripture references

• 2 Kings 16:1-20 — Reign summary, appeal to Assyria, and the Damascus altar
• 2 Chronicles 28:1-27 — Parallel account of his unfaithfulness and losses
• Isaiah 7:1-16 — Encounter with Isaiah and the Immanuel sign
• Matthew 1:9 — Named in Jesus's genealogy

Further reading

• Encyclopaedia Britannica: Ahaz