Asa of Judah
Encyclopedia
Asa was the third king of the Kingdom of Judah
and the fifth king of the House of David
. He was the son of Abijam
, grandson of Rehoboam
, and great-grandson of Solomon
. The Hebrew Bible
gives the period of his reign as 41 years. His reign is dated between 913-910 BCE to 873-869 BCE. He was succeeded by his son Jehoshaphat
, with Azubah
. According to Thiele's
chronology, when Asa became very ill, he made Jehoshaphat coregent. Asa died two years into the coregency.
Asa was zealous in maintaining the traditional worship of God, and in rooting out idolatry, with its accompanying immoralities . After concluding a battle with Zerah of Egypt in the 10th year of his reign, there was peace in Judah until the 35th years of Asa's reign . In his 36th year he was confronted by Baasha, king of Israel. He formed an alliance with Ben-Hadad I
, king of Aram Damascus
, and convinced him to break his peace treaty with Baasha and invade the Northern Kingdom. It is also recorded of Asa that in his old age, when afflicted with a foot disease, he “sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians”. He died greatly honoured by his people, and was considered for the most part a righteous king. However, his reign was said to have been marred by his reliance on Ben-Hadad.
son of Oded
, a wiseman and prophet, exhorted Asa to reinforce strict national observance of Judaism, and Asa paid heed. He purged the land of former religious worships; all the sites of non-Judaic worship were destroyed and the nation entered into a covenant or oath together. The Queen Mother, Maacah, was also deposed for having been involved with local, non-Judaic gods, worships, and beliefs, which were practiced by neighboring peoples. He also banned prostitution and prosecuted all offenders. Finally, when the religious transition was completed in Asa's fifteenth year, a great feast was held in Jerusalem at Solomon's Temple
. At that time, many northerners, particularly from the tribes Ephraim
and Manasseh
, migrated to the Kingdom of Judah
because of the fruitful golden age in Judah, and the internal conflict in Israel after the fall of the dynasty of Jeroboam I.
. An invasion by the Egyptian-backed chieftain Zerah
the Ethiopian and his million men and 300 chariots was defeated by Asa's 580,000 men (these figures come from 2 Chronicles) in the Valley of Zephath, near Mareshah. The Bible does not state whether Zerah was a pharaoh or a general of the army. The Ethiopians were pursued all the way to Gerar, in the coastal plain, where they stopped out of sheer exhaustion. The resulting peace kept Judah free from Egyptian incursions until the time of Josiah
, some centuries later.
In Asa's 36th year, King Baasha of Israel attacked the Kingdom of Judah
' onMouseout='HidePop("61439")' href="/topics/Seder_Olam_Rabbah">Seder Olam
and some later commentators take this as the 36th year since the division of the kingdom, not the 36th year of Asa's reign). Baasha built the fortress of Ramah on the border, less than ten miles from Jerusalem. The result was that the capital was under pressure and the military situation was precarious. Asa took gold and silver from the Temple and sent them to Ben-Hadad I
, king of Aram Damascus
, in exchange for the Damascene king canceling his peace treaty with Baasha. Ben-Hadad I
attacked Ijon, Dan, and many important cities of the tribe of Naphtali
, and Baasha was forced to withdraw from Ramah. Asa tore down the unfinished fortress and used its raw materials to fortify Geba and Mizpah, on his side of the border.
the Seer
, a prophet, admonished Asa for relying on the King of Syria as opposed to Divine help in defeating Baasha . Asa became very angry and threw Hanani in jail. Asa was also not as just as he had been and oppressed some of the people. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a severe disease in his feet, for which he sought the help of physicians, not the Lord . In Thiele's chronology, Asa made his son Jehoshaphat
coregent in the year that saw the onset of his disease. Asa died two years later and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem, in the grave that he had dug for himself .
has dated his reign to 913 BC – 873 BC, while E. R. Thiele
offers the dates 911/910 – 870/869 BC. Thiele's chronology for the first kings of Judah contained an internal inconsistency that later scholars corrected by dating these kings one year earlier, so that Asa's dates are taken as 912/911 to 871/870 BC in the present article. 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles describe his reign in a favorable manner. They both give his reign as lasting 41 years.
According to Thiele, the calendars for reckoning the years of kings in Judah and Israel were offset by six months, that of Judah starting in Tishri (in the fall) and that of Israel in Nisan (in the spring). Cross-synchronizations between the two kingdoms therefore often allow narrowing of the beginning and/or ending dates of a king to within a six-month range. For Asa, the Bible allows the narrowing of his accession to some time between Tishri 1 of 912 BC and the day before Nisan 1 of the 911 BC. For calculation purposes, this should be taken as the Judean year beginning in Tishri of 912/911 BC, or more simply 912 BC. His death occurred at some time between Tishri 1 of 871 BC and Nisan 1 of 870 BC, i.e. in 871 (871/870) BC. These dates are one year earlier than those given in the third edition of Thiele's Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, thereby correcting an internal inconsistency that Thiele never resolved.
Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah was a Jewish state established in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is often referred to as the "Southern Kingdom" to distinguish it from the northern Kingdom of Israel....
and the fifth king of the House of David
Davidic line
The Davidic line refers to the tracing of lineage to the King David referred to in the Hebrew Bible, as well as the New Testament...
. He was the son of Abijam
Abijam
Abijam was the fourth king of the House of David and the second of the Kingdom of Judah. He was the son of Rehoboam, the grandson of Solomon and the great-grandson of David. The Chronicler refers to him as Abijah ....
, grandson of Rehoboam
Rehoboam
Rehoboam was initially king of the United Monarchy of Israel but after the ten northern tribes of Israel rebelled in 932/931 BC to form the independent Kingdom of Israel he was king of the Kingdom of Judah, or southern kingdom. He was a son of Solomon and a grandson of David...
, and great-grandson of Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
. The Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
gives the period of his reign as 41 years. His reign is dated between 913-910 BCE to 873-869 BCE. He was succeeded by his son Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of the The Kingdom of Judah, and successor of his father Asa. His children included Jehoram, who succeeded him as king...
, with Azubah
Azubah (mother of Jehoshaphat)
Azubah is a Biblical name meaning "desolation".Azubah was the wife of King Asa and the mother of King Jehoshaphat of Israel. She was the daughter of Shilhi....
. According to Thiele's
Edwin R. Thiele
Edwin R. Thiele was an American missionary in China, an editor, archaeologist, writer, and Old Testament professor. He is best known for his chronological studies of the Hebrew kingdom period.- Biography :...
chronology, when Asa became very ill, he made Jehoshaphat coregent. Asa died two years into the coregency.
Asa was zealous in maintaining the traditional worship of God, and in rooting out idolatry, with its accompanying immoralities . After concluding a battle with Zerah of Egypt in the 10th year of his reign, there was peace in Judah until the 35th years of Asa's reign . In his 36th year he was confronted by Baasha, king of Israel. He formed an alliance with Ben-Hadad I
Ben-Hadad I
Ben-Hadad I was the king of Aram Damascus between 885 BCE and 865 BCE. He was the son of Tabrimmon and grandson of Hezion and a contemporary of Kings Baasha of Israel and Asa of Judah. Asa called on Ben-Hadad I to aid him in attacking northern Israel while Baasha was restricting access to...
, king of Aram Damascus
Aram Damascus
Aram Damascus was an Aramaean state around Damascus in Syria, from the late 12th century BCE to 734 BCE.Sources for this state come from texts that can be divided into three categories: Assyrian annals, Aramaean texts, and the Hebrew Bible....
, and convinced him to break his peace treaty with Baasha and invade the Northern Kingdom. It is also recorded of Asa that in his old age, when afflicted with a foot disease, he “sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians”. He died greatly honoured by his people, and was considered for the most part a righteous king. However, his reign was said to have been marred by his reliance on Ben-Hadad.
Purging of idolatry
AzariahAzariah (prophet)
Azariah was a prophet described in 2 Chronicles 15. The Spirit of God is described as coming upon him , and he goes to meet King Asa of Judah to exhort him to carry out a work of reform. Azariah is described as being the "son of Oded" , but the Masoretic Text omits Azariah's name in verse 8,...
son of Oded
Oded
* The second was Oded the Samarian....
, a wiseman and prophet, exhorted Asa to reinforce strict national observance of Judaism, and Asa paid heed. He purged the land of former religious worships; all the sites of non-Judaic worship were destroyed and the nation entered into a covenant or oath together. The Queen Mother, Maacah, was also deposed for having been involved with local, non-Judaic gods, worships, and beliefs, which were practiced by neighboring peoples. He also banned prostitution and prosecuted all offenders. Finally, when the religious transition was completed in Asa's fifteenth year, a great feast was held in Jerusalem at Solomon's Temple
Solomon's Temple
Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, was the main temple in ancient Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount , before its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar II after the Siege of Jerusalem of 587 BCE....
. At that time, many northerners, particularly from the tribes Ephraim
Ephraim
Ephraim ; was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph and Asenath. Asenath was an Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and the daughter of Potipherah, a priest of On. Ephraim was born in Egypt before the arrival of the children of Israel from Canaan...
and Manasseh
Tribe of Manasseh
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Manasseh was one of the Tribes of Israel. Together with the Tribe of Ephraim, Manasseh also formed the House of Joseph....
, migrated to the Kingdom of Judah
Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah was a Jewish state established in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is often referred to as the "Southern Kingdom" to distinguish it from the northern Kingdom of Israel....
because of the fruitful golden age in Judah, and the internal conflict in Israel after the fall of the dynasty of Jeroboam I.
Wars and defense projects
Taking advantage of 35 years of peace, Asa revamped and reinforced the fortresses originally built by his grandfather RehoboamRehoboam
Rehoboam was initially king of the United Monarchy of Israel but after the ten northern tribes of Israel rebelled in 932/931 BC to form the independent Kingdom of Israel he was king of the Kingdom of Judah, or southern kingdom. He was a son of Solomon and a grandson of David...
. An invasion by the Egyptian-backed chieftain Zerah
Zerah
Zerah or Zérach refers to five different people in the Hebrew Bible.-The Cushite:...
the Ethiopian and his million men and 300 chariots was defeated by Asa's 580,000 men (these figures come from 2 Chronicles) in the Valley of Zephath, near Mareshah. The Bible does not state whether Zerah was a pharaoh or a general of the army. The Ethiopians were pursued all the way to Gerar, in the coastal plain, where they stopped out of sheer exhaustion. The resulting peace kept Judah free from Egyptian incursions until the time of Josiah
Josiah
Josiah or Yoshiyahu or Joshua was a king of Judah who instituted major reforms. Josiah is credited by most historians with having established or compiled important Jewish scriptures during the Deuteronomic reform that occurred during his rule.Josiah became king of Judah at the age of eight, after...
, some centuries later.
In Asa's 36th year, King Baasha of Israel attacked the Kingdom of Judah
Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah was a Jewish state established in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is often referred to as the "Southern Kingdom" to distinguish it from the northern Kingdom of Israel....
' onMouseout='HidePop("61439")' href="/topics/Seder_Olam_Rabbah">Seder Olam
Seder Olam Rabbah
Seder Olam Rabbah is a 2nd century CE Hebrew language chronology detailing the dates of biblical events from the Creation to Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia...
and some later commentators take this as the 36th year since the division of the kingdom, not the 36th year of Asa's reign). Baasha built the fortress of Ramah on the border, less than ten miles from Jerusalem. The result was that the capital was under pressure and the military situation was precarious. Asa took gold and silver from the Temple and sent them to Ben-Hadad I
Ben-Hadad I
Ben-Hadad I was the king of Aram Damascus between 885 BCE and 865 BCE. He was the son of Tabrimmon and grandson of Hezion and a contemporary of Kings Baasha of Israel and Asa of Judah. Asa called on Ben-Hadad I to aid him in attacking northern Israel while Baasha was restricting access to...
, king of Aram Damascus
Aram Damascus
Aram Damascus was an Aramaean state around Damascus in Syria, from the late 12th century BCE to 734 BCE.Sources for this state come from texts that can be divided into three categories: Assyrian annals, Aramaean texts, and the Hebrew Bible....
, in exchange for the Damascene king canceling his peace treaty with Baasha. Ben-Hadad I
Ben-Hadad I
Ben-Hadad I was the king of Aram Damascus between 885 BCE and 865 BCE. He was the son of Tabrimmon and grandson of Hezion and a contemporary of Kings Baasha of Israel and Asa of Judah. Asa called on Ben-Hadad I to aid him in attacking northern Israel while Baasha was restricting access to...
attacked Ijon, Dan, and many important cities of the tribe of Naphtali
Tribe of Naphtali
The Tribe of Naphtali was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes...
, and Baasha was forced to withdraw from Ramah. Asa tore down the unfinished fortress and used its raw materials to fortify Geba and Mizpah, on his side of the border.
Later years
HananiHanani
The word Hanani means "God has gratified me", or "God is gracious".Hanani is the name of three men in the Hebrew Bible* One of the sons of Heman ....
the Seer
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
, a prophet, admonished Asa for relying on the King of Syria as opposed to Divine help in defeating Baasha . Asa became very angry and threw Hanani in jail. Asa was also not as just as he had been and oppressed some of the people. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a severe disease in his feet, for which he sought the help of physicians, not the Lord . In Thiele's chronology, Asa made his son Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of the The Kingdom of Judah, and successor of his father Asa. His children included Jehoram, who succeeded him as king...
coregent in the year that saw the onset of his disease. Asa died two years later and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem, in the grave that he had dug for himself .
Chronological notes
William F. AlbrightWilliam F. Albright
William Foxwell Albright was an American archaeologist, biblical scholar, philologist and expert on ceramics. From the early twentieth century until his death, he was the dean of biblical archaeologists and the universally acknowledged founder of the Biblical archaeology movement...
has dated his reign to 913 BC – 873 BC, while E. R. Thiele
Edwin R. Thiele
Edwin R. Thiele was an American missionary in China, an editor, archaeologist, writer, and Old Testament professor. He is best known for his chronological studies of the Hebrew kingdom period.- Biography :...
offers the dates 911/910 – 870/869 BC. Thiele's chronology for the first kings of Judah contained an internal inconsistency that later scholars corrected by dating these kings one year earlier, so that Asa's dates are taken as 912/911 to 871/870 BC in the present article. 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles describe his reign in a favorable manner. They both give his reign as lasting 41 years.
According to Thiele, the calendars for reckoning the years of kings in Judah and Israel were offset by six months, that of Judah starting in Tishri (in the fall) and that of Israel in Nisan (in the spring). Cross-synchronizations between the two kingdoms therefore often allow narrowing of the beginning and/or ending dates of a king to within a six-month range. For Asa, the Bible allows the narrowing of his accession to some time between Tishri 1 of 912 BC and the day before Nisan 1 of the 911 BC. For calculation purposes, this should be taken as the Judean year beginning in Tishri of 912/911 BC, or more simply 912 BC. His death occurred at some time between Tishri 1 of 871 BC and Nisan 1 of 870 BC, i.e. in 871 (871/870) BC. These dates are one year earlier than those given in the third edition of Thiele's Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, thereby correcting an internal inconsistency that Thiele never resolved.