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Among the most difficult chronological issues in the Hebrew Bible is that which concerns Hezekiah and the kings who ruled immediately before and after him. The difficulties remain much discussed in spite of numerous historical witnesses to these events. My present purpose is not to solve the difficulties, but simply to explain the matter. The reign of Hezekiah is collated with the rule of Hoshea (732‑722 bce) and the fall of Samaria (722 bce), and Sennacherib’s military campaign against Syria-Palestine and the siege of Jerusalem (third campaign) (701 bce).[1] The rule of Hoshea is based on a chronological reference: “In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria; he carried the Israelites away to Assyria. He placed them in Halah, on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes” (2 Kgs 17:6).[2] The narrative structure correlates the reign of Hezekiah with Hoshea and the fall of Samaria which seems to point toward his rule as 727‑698. “In
the third year of King Hoshea son of Elah of Israel, Hezekiah son of King Ahaz
of Judah began to reign” (18:1).
“In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of King Hoshea son of Elah of Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria came up against Samaria, besieged it” (18:9). Yet, the narrative correlation of Hezekiah’s rule and Sennacherib’s 701 campaign implies his rule as 715‑687. “In
the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, King Sennacherib of Assyria came up against
all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them” (18:13).
Thus, the reigns are, Ahaz 745/735‑727/715, Hezekiah 727/715‑698/687, and Manasseh 698/687‑642, presuming one or more co-regencies.[3]
[1]
See Luckenbill, 2: 118-21.
[2]
Quotations from NRSV.
[3]
Dual dates from Coogan 2009, 269 (who prefers 715‑687 for Hezekiah [see
277],
yet consistently provides charts with dual dating). For side by side
layout of prominent dating systems see Blenkisopp 2000, 105; Hill
and Walton 2009, 288-289. For overview of many of the issues, see
Cogan, “Chronology:
Hebrew Bible,” in Anchor Bible Dictionary
(1992), 1: 1003-1011.
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