Jotham of Judah

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jotham (Yotam in Hebrew "God is perfect or complete") was the king of Judah, and son of Uzziah with Jerusha, daughter of Zadok. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 742 BC-735 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 740 BC-732 BC. He is also one the kings mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

Because his father Uzziah was afflicted with tzaraas towards the end of his reign, Jotham was appointed royal steward. Because both 2 Chronicles (26:21, 27:1) and 2 Kings 15:33 state Jotham became king at the age of 25, scholars have concluded that Jotham became steward at 25, but upon his father's death sole king for 16 years. He is recorded as having built the Upper Gate of the Temple of Jerusalem, and extended the "wall of Ophel" (2 Chr. 27:3).

The author of 2 Kings mentions that he fought wars against Rezin, king of the Arameans, and Pekah, king of Israel (15:37). The account of 2 Chronicles adds an account of his victory over the Amorites, which resulted in the Amorites paying him tribute of 100 talents of silver, and 10,000 kors each of wheat and barley (27:5).

He was contemporary with the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah, by whose advice he benefited.