Hilkiah
Encyclopedia
Hilkiah was a Hebrew Priest
at the time of King Josiah. His name is mentioned in II Kings
. He was the High Priest and is known for finding a lost copy of the Book of the law at the Temple in Jerusalem
at the time that King Josiah commanded that the Holy Temple be refurbished . His preaching may have helped spur Josiah to return Judah to the worship of Yahweh
, the God of Israel. Hilkiah in extra-biblical sources
is attested by the clay bulla naming a Hilkiah as the father of an Azariah, and by the seal reading "Hanan son of Hilkiah the priest".
Hilkiah may have been the same Hilkiah who was the father of Jeremiah
the prophet. As such he would have lived in Anathoth
in the land of Benjamin
, and was the father of an influential family in the Kingdom of Judah
.
differs in tone and narrative style from the preceding four books of the Pentateuch while still referring to them throughout. Scrolls and books of later antiquity, particularly those of the Greco-Roman rule in Judea
, were summarily discounted by Hebrew biblical redactors. Conversely this book, whose discovery is touted in 2 Kings
, was therefore believed to have been of an early enough authorship to validate, not only its inclusion, but the book's ultimate placement as the 5th of the "Five Books of Moses".
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
at the time of King Josiah. His name is mentioned in II Kings
Books of Kings
The Book of Kings presents a narrative history of ancient Israel and Judah from the death of David to the release of his successor Jehoiachin from imprisonment in Babylon, a period of some 400 years...
. He was the High Priest and is known for finding a lost copy of the Book of the law at the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
at the time that King Josiah commanded that the Holy Temple be refurbished . His preaching may have helped spur Josiah to return Judah to the worship of Yahweh
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
, the God of Israel. Hilkiah in extra-biblical sources
Hilkiah in extra-biblical sources
According to an account in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, Hilkiah was a High Priest of the Temple of Jerusalem during the reign of King Josiah of Judah and the discoverer of "the Book of the Law " in the Temple, in the 18th year of Josiah’s reign . Scholars almost universally agree that the book...
is attested by the clay bulla naming a Hilkiah as the father of an Azariah, and by the seal reading "Hanan son of Hilkiah the priest".
Hilkiah may have been the same Hilkiah who was the father of Jeremiah
Jeremiah
Jeremiah Hebrew：יִרְמְיָה , Modern Hebrew:Yirməyāhū, IPA: jirməˈjaːhu, Tiberian:Yirmĭyahu, Greek:Ἰερεμίας), meaning "Yahweh exalts", or called the "Weeping prophet" was one of the main prophets of the Hebrew Bible...
the prophet. As such he would have lived in Anathoth
Anathoth
Anathoth - the name of one of the cities given to "the children of Aaron" , in the tribe of Benjamin . Since the Israelites often did not change the names of the towns they found in Canaan, the name of this town may be derived from a Canaanite goddess, ‘Anat...
in the land of Benjamin
Benjamin
Benjamin was the last-born of Jacob's twelve sons, and the second and last son of Rachel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Benjamin. In the Biblical account, unlike Rachel's first son, Joseph, Benjamin was born in Canaan. He died in Egypt on...
, and was the father of an influential family in 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....
.
The "Book of the law"
Some identify the rediscovered book as the Book of Deuteronomy. Some argue that the Deuteronomic CodeDeuteronomic Code
The Deuteronomic Code is the name given by academics to the law code within the Book of Deuteronomy. It contains "a variety of topics including religious ceremonies and ritual purity, civil and criminal law, and the conduct of war"...
differs in tone and narrative style from the preceding four books of the Pentateuch while still referring to them throughout. Scrolls and books of later antiquity, particularly those of the Greco-Roman rule in Judea
Judea
Judea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
, were summarily discounted by Hebrew biblical redactors. Conversely this book, whose discovery is touted in 2 Kings
Books of Kings
The Book of Kings presents a narrative history of ancient Israel and Judah from the death of David to the release of his successor Jehoiachin from imprisonment in Babylon, a period of some 400 years...
, was therefore believed to have been of an early enough authorship to validate, not only its inclusion, but the book's ultimate placement as the 5th of the "Five Books of Moses".