Ahaziah (Hastings' Dictionary)

1. King of Israel, son of Ahab. He is said to have reigned two years ; but as he came to the throne in the 17th year of Jehoshaphat (1 K 22"), and his brother Jehoram succeeded him in Jehoshaphat's 18th year (2 K 3'), the duration of his reign would not much exceed a year. The chronological statement in 2 K 1", which would imply a reign of nearly ten years, is probably an interpolation (Gratz, etc.) ; it is not found in B, and is misplaced in A. The Moabite Stone dates the revolt of Mesha as taking place after ' half the days of Omri's son' ; but the Bible account (2 K 1' 3°) is more probable, which makes it a consequence of the death of Ahab, who was a comparatively powerful monarch. In any case we do not read of any effort to suppress this rising until the reign of Jehoram. It is possible that Ahaziah was engaged in preparations tor war when the accident occurred which resulted in his death. He seems to have inherited from his mother her devotion to Baal, for in his extremity he sent to inquire at the oracle of Baalzebub, the special Baal worshipped at Ekron. The story of his fatal mission belongs rather to the history of Elijah. It is sufficient here to note that his thrice repeated summons of the proi)het is characteristic of the son of Ahab ana Jezebel ; suggestive as it is of the callousness of his father, and the obstinacy of his mother. See Jehosha- phat for the maritime alliance between Ahaziah and that monarch. 2. Ahaziah, king of Judah, youngest son of Jehoram. He was made king by ' the inhabitants of Jerusalem ' (cf. 2 K 23*'), oecause all his elder brothers had been carried off in an incursion of Philistines and Arabians (2 Oh 21" 22'). His name is variously given as Jehoahaz (2 Ch 21" 25^) and Azariah (22«). The latter is probably a blunder, Ahaziah being read by some Heb. MSS, AHBAN AHIJAH 5S LXX, Pesli., Vul^'. ; and Jehoaliaz is merely a trans- position of Alia/iali (ff. Jeclioniali = Jehoiathin). LXX lias Ahaziali in 21", and omits the name in 25^. The other versions, except V'ulg., also ii^nore the chan;,'e. He began to reign in the 11th (2 K 9^) or 12th (2 K 8=^) year of Joram of Israel, bein" then 22 years old, and reigned one year (2 K 8^). The readiu'^ 'forty and two' in 2 Ch 22' ia absurd, since his father was 40 years old at his death. Peah. here has '22' and LXX '20.' The evil influence which Athali.ah, the queen mother, had exercised over her husband continued unchecked in the reign of her son (2 K 8-'', 2 Ch 22^'') ; yet in 2 K 12'" we read of ' hallowed things' which he had dedicated apparently to J". There is an irreconcilaole discrepancy between Kings and Chron. as to the death of A. Joram of Israel having renewed the attack on Kamoth- gilead in whicii Aliab had failed, was joined by his nephew A. The town was captured (2 K S"), but Joram received wounds which compelled him to return to Jezreel. It is imi)lied that A. also returned to Jerusalem, for he ' went down' to see Joram at Jezreel (cf. 1 K 22'^) (Ewald evades the ditiiculty by reaxling in 2 K 8'-^ ' now Joram went,' etc., omitting 'with,' which is adopted in 2 Ch 22'). According to Kings, on seeing Joram's fate. A., Eursued by Jehu, ' fled by the way of the garden ouse ' (or 'Bcth-liaggan,' Stade, etc.), was morUiUy wounded ' at the a-scent of Gur,' and died on reach- ing iMegiddo. His body was carried to Jeru.salem, and ' buried with his fathers in the city of David.' Meanwhile the ' brethren of Ahaziah,' ignorant of the revolution in Jezreel, had followed him from Jerusalem to visit Joram's children ; they were met by Jehu on the road between Jezreel and Samaria, and were slain. This seems a consistent story ; but when the Chronicler came to deal with it he found two stumbling- block.s. First, he has previously informed us that A. had no brethren liWng; therefore ' the brethren of Aliaziah' become in his record 'the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah ' attendin" their master in SiMnaria or Jezreel ; secondly. Kings implies thai A., an idolater, was buried in the royal sepul. hres. Now the Chronicler always carefully excluiles idolaters (e.g. Jehoram, Joash, Amaziah, Ahaz) from 'the sepulchres of the kings,' and therefcre he makes A., who was hiding in Samaria, In; kilU'd and buried there ; that he is buried at all being for the sake of his good father Jehoshaphat. Enough has been said to show that here, as else- wliere, the Chronicler, if more edifying, is not so reliable as the earlier writer. N. J. D. White.