Hezekiah

Hezekiah (Heb. Hiskiah, Yehiskiyahu, 'May Jehovah strengthen him'), a reforming king of Judah, son and successor of Ahaz, reigned from 728 to 697 B.C. His reign is remarkable for the invasions by the Assyrians under Sargon, and again under Sennacherib. When Sennacherib appeared before Jerusalem 'an Angel of the Lord' (explained variously to mean the plague, an earthquake, a sudden attack by Tirhaka, or the simoom) slew during one single night 180,000 men in the Assyrian camp, and Sennacherib was obliged to retreat. (See 2 Kings, xviii.-xx., and 2 Chron. xxix.-xxxii.) The events of this period as recorded in Assyrian records are treated at Assyria (q.v.). After the war he collected great treasures and executed many highly useful works, among which the aqueducts of Jerusalem take a foremost place. He was also the golden age of prophetic poetry. He was succeeded by his son Manasseh.