Ahaz
Ahaz (Hebrew: אָחָז, ʼĀḥāz, "has held"; Greek: Ἄχαζ, Ἀχάζ Akhaz; Latin: Achaz) an abbreviation of Jehoahaz II (of Judah), "Yahweh has held" (Hebrew: יְהוֹאָחָז, Modern: Yəhō’aḥaz, Tiberian: Yŏhō’āḥāz; Akkadian: 𒅀𒌑𒄩𒍣 Ya'úḫazi [ia-ú-ḫa-zi]) was the twelfth king of Judah, and the son and successor of Jotham. Ahaz was 20 when he became king of Judah and reigned for 16 years.
| Ahaz | |
|---|---|
Ahaz from Guillaume Rouillé's Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum, 1553 | |
| King of Judah | |
| Reign | 732–716 BC |
| Predecessor | Jotham |
| Successor | Hezekiah |
| Spouse | Abijah |
| House | House of David |
| Father | Jotham |
Ahaz is portrayed as an evil king in the Second Book of Kings (2 Kings 16:2).
In Edwin R. Thiele's opinion, Ahaz was co-regent with Jotham from 736/735 BC, and his sole reign began in 732/731 and ended in 716/715 BC. However, William F. Albright has dated his reign to 744–728 BC.
The Gospel of Matthew lists Ahaz of Judah in the genealogy of Jesus. He is also mentioned in Isaiah 7 and Isaiah 14:28.