Hezekiah in History and Tradition

387 Pages·2012·2.754 MB·English

by  Robb Andrew Young

Hezekiah in History and Tradition
Supplements
to
Vetus Testamentum
Editor in Chief
Christl M. Maier
Editorial Board
r.p. gordon – j. joosten – g.n. knoppers – a. van der kooij – a. lemaire –
s.l. mckenzie – c.a. newsom – h. spieckermann – j. trebolle barrera –
n. wazana – s.d. weeks – h.g.m. williamson
VOLUME 155
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.nl/vts
Hezekiah in History and Tradition
By
Robb Andrew Young
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2012
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Young, Robb Andrew.
Hezekiah in history and tradition / by Robb Andrew Young.
p. cm. — (Supplements to Vetus Testamentum, ISSN 0083–5889 ; v. 155)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-90-04-21608-2 (hardback : alk. paper)
1. Hezekiah, King of Judah. 2. Bible. O.T. Kings—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 3. Bible. O.T.
Isaiah I—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 4. Bible. O.T. Chronicles—Criticism, interpretation, etc.
5. Jews—History—953-586 B.C. I. Title.
BS580.H4Y68 2012
222’. 54092—dc23
2012006802
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ISSN 0083-5889
ISBN 978 90 04 21608 2 (hardback)
ISBN 978 90 04 22951 8 (e-book)
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgements  ........................................................................................ ix
Abbreviations  ................................................................................................... xi
Introduction  ..................................................................................................... 1
PART ONE
HEzEKIAH VIA ExTRA-BIBLICAL MATERIAL
1 Regnal Years and Lineage  ....................................................................... 9
1.1. The Regnal Years of Hezekiah  ....................................................... 9
1.1.1. Overview  ................................................................................... 9
1.1.2. The Date of the Fall of Samaria  ......................................... 12
1.1.3. The Date of the Fall of Jerusalem  ..................................... 18
1.1.4. Regnal Years of the Latter Kings of Judah  ...................... 21
1.2. The Lineage of Hezekiah  ................................................................ 24
1.2.1. Relationship to Ahaz  ............................................................. 24
1.2.2. Relationship to Ataliah  ......................................................... 28
1.3. Conclusion  .......................................................................................... 32
2 The Kingdom of Judah  ............................................................................. 35
2.1. Assyrian Relations  ............................................................................ 35
2.2. The Urbanization of Jerusalem ..................................................... 42
2.3. The Siloam Tunnel  ........................................................................... 48
2.4. The LMLK Seals  ................................................................................. 50
2.5. Conclusion  .......................................................................................... 58
3 Sennacherib’s Third Campaign  ............................................................. 61
3.1. Archaeological Evidence  ................................................................ 62
3.2. The Number of Assyrian Campaigns  .......................................... 66
3.3. Taharqo  ................................................................................................ 73
3.4. Historical Reconstruction  ............................................................... 77
3.5. Conclusion  .......................................................................................... 86
vi contents
PART TWO
HEzEKIAH IN THE BOOK OF KINGS AND FIRST ISAIAH
4 The Religious Reform  ............................................................................... 91
4.1. Archaeological Evidence  ................................................................ 93
4.1.1. Arad  .......................................................................................... 93
4.1.2. Beer-sheba  .............................................................................. 95
4.1.3. Lachish  .................................................................................... 97
4.2. Biblical Evidence  .............................................................................. 101
4.2.1. The Report in 2 Kgs 18:4  .................................................... 101
4.2.2. The Report in 2 Kgs 18:22  .................................................. 104
4.3. The Social Setting of the Reform  ................................................ 109
4.4. Conclusion  ......................................................................................... 120
5 The Relationship between 2 Kgs 18:13–20:19 and Isa 36–39  ......... 123
5.1. Relative Priority of the Texts  ........................................................ 123
5.1.1. Annalistic Account A (2 Kgs 18:13–16)  ........................... 123
5.1.2. Prophetic Account B (2 Kgs 18:17–19:37/Isa 36–37)  ... 126
5.1.3. Hezekiah and Isaiah (2 Kgs 20/Isa 38–39)  ................... 133
5.2. Editing of the Texts  ......................................................................... 136
5.2.1. Source Division  ..................................................................... 136
5.2.2. Literary Analysis  ................................................................... 142
5.2.3. The Secondary Nature of “The Fourteenth Year”  ....... 146
5.3. Conclusion  ......................................................................................... 150
6 The Messianic Oracles in First Isaiah  ................................................. 151
6.1. Isa 8:23–9:6  ......................................................................................... 152
6.1.1. Overview  ................................................................................. 152
6.1.2. Literary Extent and Structure ........................................... 152
6.1.3. Tense/Aspect Analysis  ........................................................ 156
6.1.4. Translation  ............................................................................. 158
6.1.5. Function of Isa 9:5–6  .......................................................... 159
6.1.6. Literary and Historical Context  ....................................... 161
6.2. Isa 11:1–9  .............................................................................................. 164
6.2.1. Overview  ................................................................................. 164
6.2.2. Literary Extent  ...................................................................... 165
6.2.3. The Significance of the “Shoot”  ....................................... 170
6.2.4. Literary and Historical Context  ....................................... 177
contents vii
6.3. Isa 7 and the Sign of Immanuel  .................................................. 181
6.3.1. Overview  ................................................................................. 181
6.3.2. The Identity of Immanuel  ................................................. 182
6.4. Conclusion  ......................................................................................... 190
PART THREE
HEzEKIAH IN CHRONICLES
7 The Historical Reliability of 2 Chr 29–30  ........................................... 195
7.1. The Rededication of the Temple (2 Chr 29)  ............................ 197
7.1.1. Authorship  ............................................................................. 197
7.1.2. Material  ................................................................................... 202
7.2. The Passover (2 Chr 30)  ................................................................. 209
7.2.1. Summary Statement  ............................................................ 209
7.2.2. Other Historical Objections  .............................................. 213
7.2.3. Correspondence to Josiah’s Passover and
Deuteronomy ......................................................................... 215
7.2.4. Source Material  ..................................................................... 222
7.2.5. The Second Month  .............................................................. 227
7.3. Conclusion  ......................................................................................... 231
8 The Historical Reliability of 2 Chr 31–32  ............................................ 235
8.1. The Reform and the Portions (2 Chr 31)  ................................... 235
8.1.1. The Reform  ............................................................................ 235
8.1.2. Distribution of the Portions  .............................................. 238
8.1.3. Historical Analysis of the Portions  ................................. 244
8.2. The Invasion of Sennacherib (2 Chr 32)  ................................... 249
8.2.1. Hezekiah’s Defensive Measures (vv 3–6)  ...................... 249
8.2.2. Hezekiah’s Achievements (vv 27–30)  ............................ 253
8.3. Conclusion  ......................................................................................... 254
9 Hezekiah as a Second David/Solomon  ................................................ 257
9.1. The Dynastic Promises to David and Solomon  ...................... 259
9.1.1. Conditional and Unconditional Material  ..................... 259
9.1.2. The Depiction of Solomon  ................................................ 263
9.2. The Pro-Solomonic Source of Chronicles  ................................. 267
9.3. The Hezekian Provenance of the Source Material  ................ 276
9.4. Conclusion  ......................................................................................... 282
viii contents
Summary and Future Directions  ................................................................ 285
Appendix A  ....................................................................................................... 295
Appendix B  ....................................................................................................... 299
Bibliography  ..................................................................................................... 301
Author Index  .................................................................................................... 335
Scripture Index  ................................................................................................ 343
Subject Index  .................................................................................................... 360
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This monograph is a revised version of my Ph.D. thesis, submitted to the
faculty of the Graduate School at Yale University in the spring of 2011.
Writing on this particular topic has been a labor of love from start to fin-
ish, and I must first and foremost thank my advisors for suggesting it to
me. Both Robert R. Wilson and John J. Collins have been of inestimable
value in guiding my dissertation research, and the end product is far bet-
ter for their forthright and discerning feedback.
The opportunity to pursue doctoral studies would not have been pos-
sible without the outstanding faculty at the Hebrew University of Jerusa-
lem. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Steven Fassberg, Wayne
Horowitz, Matthew Morgenstern, and Baruch Schwartz for their erudition
and encouragement. Special mention should also be made of my class-
mates Jeff Dinkelman and David Bremer, who were like a family to me
and kept me motivated to finish what we started together.
The impetus for my decision to study in Israel was provided by Norman
Stillman and Shmuel Shepkaru at the University of Oklahoma. They are to
be commended for their open hearts and open minds in believing in me
and setting me along the path to academic investigation of the Hebrew
Bible.
It is only fitting that my family receive my warmest expression of grati-
tude. My brother Todd and my son Christopher have been supportive to
the utmost despite the time I was forced to sacrifice away from them,
and I look forward to being able to repay their kindness. My mother Shir-
ley and father Andy were foundational in fostering my interest in Bible
from an early age, and gave of themselves countless times over in order
to assure that my needs were met as I worked to complete my various
degrees. This work is dedicated to all of you.