Jehoahaz, 17th King of Judah to 20th and last King, Zedekiah of House of David

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

    Jehoahaz/Shallum, 17th King of Judah, brother of Jehoiakim, whose name was originally Shallum,  reigned for only 3 months in 609/8 BCE in Jerusalem in 609 BC after being anointed by the people at the age of 23.  He was the Fourth son of King Josiah and Queen Hamutal (daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah).  He was crowned by the people after his father was killed fighting the Egyptians.  Jehoahaz apparently belonged to the pro-Babylonian party since he was deposed and arrested by Pharaoh Necoh, dying in captivity in Egypt as told in (II Kings 23: 29-34). 

Character: Described in the biblical accounts (2 Kings 23:32) as doing "evil in the sight of the LORD" by following idolatrous practices instead of continuing his father Josiah's religious reforms. 



Deposition: After King Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo, Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II marched back from the Euphrates, summoned Jehoahaz to Riblah in Hamath, put him in chains/imprisoned him, and deposed him. 
Tribute and Succession: Pharaoh Necho II placed a heavy fine of 100 talents of silver and 1 talent of gold on Judah, and appointed Jehoahaz's older brother Eliakim as king, changing his name to Jehoiakim. 
Death: Taken as a prisoner to Egypt, where he died without ever returning to Judah. He is lamented in prophecies by Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Jehoiakim/Eliakim, 18th King of Judah, son of Josiah, brother of Jehoahaz, reigned from (608 to 598 BCE) for 10 years.  He was made king by Pharaoh Necoh in succession to his brother Jehoahaz.  In 601, he had joined the pro-Egyptian party in Judah in opposition to the advice of Jeremiah, who depicts Jehoiakim as a tyrannical oppressor.  For 3 years, he was subject to Egypt but after the defeat of Necoh at the decisive battle of Carchemish in 605, became a Babylonian vassal.  Jehoiakim died while Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonians in 598 BCE.     

    8,000 Israelites marched to Babylon by force from Jerusalem.  
                                              

           Nebuhadnezzar was king of Babylonia from 605-562 BCE.  He conquered all the lands from the Euphrates River to the Egyptian frontier including Judah.  He had captured Jerusalem, replaced the young King Jehoiachin with his own nominee, Zedekiah, and exiled 8,000 of the local aristocracy to Babylon, meaning they became his captives, maybe slaves and marched back.   

Jehoichin/Coniah/Jeconiah), 19th King of Judah, son of Jehoiakim: born in 579 BCE, reigned in 597 BCE.  Succeeding to the throne at the age of 18 during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, he reigned for only 3months and 10 days before capitulating to Nebuhadnezzar.  Who can blame an 18 year old for doing that? A thrilling life awaited him and had come to an unbelievable end.    He was taken to exile in Babylonia remaining in detention until the accession of EVIL-MERODACH  (in 561) when he was released.  (II Kings 24-5) (II Chron. 36:8-10). For researchers, the Official Babylonian records relating to his captivity have been recovered. 

 

Zedekiah, 20th and last King of Judah (597-586 BCE) from the House of King David, son of Josiah, originally called Mattaniah but adopted the name of Zedekiah when appointed king by Nebuchadnezzar to succeed the exiled Jehoiachin.  

He ascended the throne at the age of 21 and swore allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar. In the early years of his reign, he refused to join an anti-Babylonian coalition of neighboring kingdoms and in 594, visited Babylon (Jer.51:59).  In the 9th year of his reign, he conspired with Egypt;  in consequence, the Babylonians invaded his kingdom and eventually captured Jerusalem.  

Zedekiah was overtaken while attempting to run away, and brought for trial before Nebuchadnezzar.  His sons were killed before him,  his eyes were put out, and he was imprisoned in Babylon until his death, as told in (II Kings 25); (Jer.52).  

PRESIDENT MACRON OF FRANCE AND PALESTINIANS' PRESIDENT ABBAS ELECTION PROMISE

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

          Emmanual Macron, President of France:  Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017.  That's 9 years, a little over 2 terms.  

Remember a high- profile bombing near Macron's hotel in Damascus, Syria on July 7th, of this year of 2026?   Just notice the connection again with Macron and the Palestinians.

The Bombing: Two improvised explosive devices (one in a car and one in a garbage bin) detonated near the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus where Macron had spent the night, injuring 18 people.
Why He Missed It: Macron was completely unharmed because he had left the hotel 10 minutes earlier and was at the presidential palace meeting with the new Syrian President, Ahmed al-Sharaa (who came to power after Bashar al-Assad was ousted). (Saved by an unexpected 10 minutes change in his schedule) 
The Meeting in Turkey: —Immediately after his historic stop in Syria, Macron flew directly to Ankara, Turkey, to attend a major NATO summit.  

French Army occupied Syrian coast 1920:  
The French Army on the Syrian coast, proclaiming the French Mandate  Way back in the 20's  France had the League of Nations mandate over Syria and Lebanon (then collectively known as the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon). The French mandate over Syria and Lebanon ended in 1946 with the final withdrawal of French troops.  Now the Palestinians' terrorists have taken over Syria and Lebanon.  
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS): Emerged as the dominant de facto authority following the fall of the Assad regime, and remains designated as a UN Security Council and U.S. terrorist organization due to its historical links to Al-Qaeda. 
Islamic State (ISIS): Maintains active cells in parts of Syria, launching periodic attacks and operating covertly despite territorial losses.
Hezbollah and Iran-backed Shia Militias: Historically supported the Assad regime, with ongoing presence and border-region interactions as the new government reorganizes security.
Jolani, President of Syria:   Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, is the interim president of Syria. Liked by Trump who likes people who can control others, Rise to Power: He led Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied opposition forces in the offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024. He was named transitional president on January 29, 2025;   he joined insurgent groups in Iraq following the 2003 U.S. invasion, was detained at Camp Bucca, and later founded the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front in Syria. He broke ties with al-Qaeda in 2016 and rebranded the group as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.. In November 2025, he met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, following the UN Security Council's lifting of terror-related sanctions against him.

The Palestinian Authority has informed France that elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council will be postponed by several months, due to "fundamental obstacles affecting their inclusiveness, freedom of participation and the integrity of the electoral process.” The elections had been scheduled for November 28 following a pledge Abbas made to French President Emmanuel Macron, which played a significant role in Macron's decision to recognize a Palestinian state. 

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas pledged to French President Emmanuel Macron (and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) to hold national legislative and presidential elections, enact major governance and political reforms, abolish prisoner ("pay-to-slay") payments to jailed militants, and assume sole governance and security in Gaza.

France: France has joined calls targeting illegal settlement goods and previously moved toward formal recognition of Palestinian statehood, while condemning the October 7 Hamas attacks and antisemitism., allowing their enemy (Palestinians) to be closer so that they can hit them better !

I note that England, who held the mandate over Palestine which included our present Israel,  is against her today, as she was then.  

Sanctions and Settlement Bans: Several nations—including the UK, France, Canada, and others—have moved to ban goods from illegal West Bank settlements and impose sanctions on extremist ministers or violent settlers. 
Divergent National Stances:
• Spain & Ireland: Spain has imposed arms embargoes, withdrawn its ambassador, and strongly pushed for Palestinian UN membership, while Ireland and Norway have faced sharp Israeli backlash for recognizing a Palestinian state. (OH?  I wonder why?)  
• I note that Ireland has also been anti-Israel for a long time.  I remember their President, Robinson.  And that was a country where Jews had gone after finding England rather repulsive, with  Chaim Herzog, who was born in Belfast and raised in Dublin (the son of Ireland's Chief Rabbi, Isaac Halevi Herzog), and later served as the President of Israel from 1983 to 1993.

King Manasseh, 14th King of Judah;

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                 

14. King Manasseh (692-638 BCE) of Judah, succeeded his father, Hezekiah at the age of 12, and is depicted in the Bible as one of the worst Jewish monarchs.   Manasseh was the fourteenth and grandfather  of King Josiah. 

Alternative Identifications:
• Some older or alternate traditions link it to Juttah (modern Yatta, south of Hebron) or confuse the name with Jotbathah (an Exodus wilderness encampment). Jotbah is mentioned in 2 Kings 21:19 as the hometown of Meshullemeth, the mother of King Amon of Judah and grandmother of King Josiah
• Archaeological and scholarly consensus frequently points to Khirbet Jefat (Yodefat), which later became a major site of the Jewish revolt against Rome in 67 CE.

They had a son Amon, who succeeded him as king of Judah upon his death. Hezekiah, Manasseh and Amon appear in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew's gospel, a section we Jews do not have in our tree.                                     

He canceled his father's reforms, reintroduced pagan practices, and so shocked the faithful that the destruction of the Temple was attributed to his wickedness (II Kings 21: 11-17). 

He is also mentioned in Jeremiah 15:4, where the prophet Jeremiah predicts "four forms of destruction" for the people of Judah because of the evil done by Manasseh in Judah

Apparently, he was forcefully opposed by the loyal monotheists, many of whom he put to death. 

Ashurbanipal inspects the prisoners after subduing his brother at the siege of Babylon. The cuneiform inscription reads, ” I, Ashurbanipal, king of the universe, king of the land of Ashur, who, at the command of the great gods has attained the desires of his heart: the garments and ornaments – the royal insignia of Shamash-shum-ukin, the faithless brother – his harem, his officials, his battle troops, his (battle) chariot, his processional chariot – his state vehicle, all the provisions which were in his palace, the people, male and female, great and small – they made to pass before me.” Photo: Anthony Huan / Wikimedia Commons via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

 Manasseh was the first king of Judah who was not contemporary with the northern kingdom of Israel, which the Assyrians had destroyed c. 720 BCE, deporting much of its population.

 He re-instituted polytheistic worship and reversed the religious changes made by his father Hezekiah – hence his condemnation in several biblical verses.

When Manasseh's reign began, Sennacherib was king of Assyria, who reigned until 681 BCE. Manasseh is mentioned in Assyrian records as a contemporary and loyal vassal of Sennacherib's son and successor, Esarhaddon. Assyrian records list Manasseh among twenty-two kings required to provide materials for Esarhaddon's building projects. Esarhaddon died in 669 BC and was succeeded by his son, Ashurbanipal, who also names Manasseh as one of a number of vassals who assisted his campaign against Egypt.

Manasseh paid tribute to Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal of Assyria and, according to one report, spent some time  as a captive in Babylon (II Chron. 33:11-19).  

It has been suggested that his pagan innovations were the result of Assyrian pressure.  

Despite the criticisms of his religious policies in the biblical texts, archaeologists such as Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman credit Manasseh with reviving Judah's rural economy, arguing that a possible Assyrian grant of most favoured nation status stimulated the creation of an export market. They argue that changes to the economic structure of the countryside would have required the cooperation of the "countryside aristocracy", with restoration of worship at the high places a quid pro quo for this.

 Apparent devastation of the fertile Shephelah, coupled with growth of the population of the highlands and the southeast of the kingdom (especially in the Beersheba valley) during Manasseh's reign, point to this possibility.

 Finkelstein has also suggested that Manasseh's extensive trade activity as a vassal of Assyria may have provided the basis for some of the biblical stories about King Solomon's great acquisition of wealth through foreign trade relationships.

                                                        

15. King Amon of Judah (reigned from 642-640 BCE) He took the throne at the age of 22 in succession to his father, Manasseh and ruled for only 2 years before being killed or assassinated by conspirators. Amon of Judah was the fifteenth King of Judah  He was the son of King Manasseh and Meshullemeth, and the father of King Josiah.         Idolatry: The Amon of Judah - Wikipedia record notes he followed his father's early wicked ways, worshiping idols and turning away from God.  

Unrepentant: Unlike his father Manasseh, who later repented in life, Amon did not humble himself and increased his guilt.
Death and Succession
Assassination: His own servants or palace officers conspired against him and killed or assassinated  him in his palace. 
Aftermath: The people of the land killed the conspirators.
Succession: They made Amon's eight-year-old son, Josiah, the next king,

16. Josiah, 16th King of Judah b c.645  BCE (637-608 BCE reigned ).  Following the murder of his father, Amon, the populace had the 8 year old, Josiah, crowned                               

               Bringing down the idols of high places
On attaining manhood, he began a program of religious reform,  removing foreign cults which had taken hold in Judah and re-establishing the pure monotheistic religion.  His actions  were helped, and maybe motivated by the decline of Assyrian influence over the country, and doubtless received the support of the contemporary prophets including Nahum, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah.  
In the course of repairing the Temple, the high priest Hilkiah, announced the discovery of a BOOK OF THE LAW, which so influenced Josiah that he convened an assembly of the entire people during Passover in c.619 BCE, at which a solemn covenant was made with Deuteronomy.                  

             Hilkiah's discovery of the Book of the Law
 King Josiah celebrated a grand Passover in Jerusalem during the 18th year of his reign (around age 26), right after high priest Hilkiah discovered the Book of the Law during temple repairs.
Josiah removed the high places and centralized worship at the Jerusalem Temple.  His reign was one of  cultural, religious, and political prosperity.  



During a period of heavy geopolitical conflict between the Babylonian and Assyrian empires, Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt marched his army northward to assist the Assyrians. King Josiah attempted to block the Egyptian army's passage through his territory.   In 608, he attempted to bar the passage of the Egyptian army under Necho II which was moving to assist Assyria against his Babylonian allies.



Despite warnings from Pharaoh Necho to stand down, Josiah faced the Egyptian forces at Megiddo. During the battle, Josiah was mortally wounded by Egyptian archers.                               

He was placed in a chariot, brought back to Jerusalem, and died from his wounds.  In the battle in Megiddo, Josiah's army was defeated as he was  mortally wounded. 
 His religious reforms were of far-reaching importance for the development of Judaism, and formed a basis for the work of Ezra and Nehemiah.  
Resource:
Stone Edition of Bible
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedioa