Pekahiah

Pekahiah from Guillaume Rouillé's Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum

Pekahiah (/ˌpɛkəˈhə/; Hebrew: פקחיה, Peqakhyāh; "YHWH has opened the eyes"; Latin: Phaceia) was a king of Israel and the son of Menahem, whom he succeeded, and the second and last king of Israel from the House of Gadi. He ruled from the capital of Samaria.

Pekahiah became king in the fiftieth year of the reign of Azariah, king of Judah.[1] William F. Albright has dated his reign to 738 BC 737 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 742 BC 740 BC.[2]

Pekahiah continued the practices of Jeroboam, which are called the sins of Jeroboam.[3]

After a reign of two years, Pekahiah was assassinated in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria by Pekah, son of Remaliah, one of his chief officers, with the help of fifty men of Gilead. Pekah succeeded Pekahiah as king.[4]

References

  1. 2 Kings 15:23
  2. Edwin Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, (1st ed.; New York: Macmillan, 1951; 2d ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965; 3rd ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Kregel, 1983). ISBN 0-8254-3825-X, 9780825438257. p 217
  3. 2 Kings 15:24
  4. "Pekahiah", Jewish Encyclopedia
Pekahiah
House of Gadi
Contemporary King of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Menahem
King of Israel
742 BC 740 BC
Succeeded by
Pekah