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Line 1: − :''This article is about the king of the [[Northern Kingdom]]. For the king of the [[Southern Kingdom]], see [[Joash]].'' − '''Joash''' or '''Jehoash''' ([[Hebrew]] '''יהואש המלך''', [[YHWH]]-given) (vr. 841-r. 839-825 BC according to [[James Ussher|Ussher]]<ref name=Ussher>[[James Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World]]'', [[Larry Pierce]], ed., Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2003 (ISBN 0890513600), pghh. 546, 547, 549-551,553</ref>, or vr. 798-r. 797-782 BC according to [[Edwin R. Thiele|Thiele]]<ref name=Wood>Leon J. Wood, ''A Survey of Israel's History'', rev. ed. David O'Brien, Grand Rapids, MI: Academie Books, 1986 (ISBN 031034770X), pp. 275-276</ref>) was the twelfth king of the [[Northern Kingdom]] of [[Israel]] and the second of four generations of the [[House of Jehu]] that followed its founder.<ref name=GeoCities>Authors unknown. "[http://www.geocities.com/thekingsofisrael/biography_JoashOfIsrael.html King Joash of Israel - Biography]." ''The Kings of Israel'', hosted at http://www.geocities.com/ Retrieved June 10, 2007.</ref> − − == Viceroyship and Accession == − He began as executive [[viceroy]] in the last two years of the reign of his father [[Jehoahaz]]. Two years after he became viceroy, he found himself reigning alone when his father died. The statement that he began to reign "in the thirty-seventh year of [[Joash]] king of [[Southern Kingdom|Judah]]"<ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=13|verses=10}}</ref> implies the viceroyship, in that the "thirty-seventh year" began ''before'' the term-of-reign of Jehoahaz had completely elapsed. − − Joash made no move against the golden-calf cult of [[Jeroboam I]].<ref name=GeoCities/> Nevertheless, he knew enough to consult a prophet of [[God]] at a critical time in his reign. − − == Consultation with Elisha == − Shortly after presiding over his father's funeral, Joash came to see the prophet [[Elisha]]. Elisha was ill and close to death. Joash said to him, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and its horsemen!"--the exact same words that Elisha had uttered to the departing [[Elijah]] on the day of his own investiture. Elisha asked Joash to pick up a bow and arrows, notch an arrow into the bow, and shoot, and told Joash that he would win in war against the [[Syria]]ns. Then Elisha asked Joash to strike the floor with the arrows--and Joash struck the floor only three times. Elisha told him that because he had stopped striking the floor, he would have only three victories against Syria in war.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=13|verses=14-19}}</ref><ref name=Ussher/><ref name=Wood/><ref name=GeoCities/> − − Shortly after that prophecy was uttered, King [[Hazael]] died, and his son [[Benhadad II]] reigned in his stead. Joash led the tiny remnant of an army that his father had left him and scored three victories against Benhadad, each time recovering a number of Israelite cities.<ref name=Wood/> − − == A Loyal Son and Viceroy == − Joash had a son, named [[Jeroboam II]]. Both Ussher and Thiele infer, both from Joash's stated length of reign and the second Jeroboam's synchrony with King [[Uzziah]] of the Southern Kingdom,<ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=15|verses=1}}</ref> that Jeroboam II became executive [[viceroy]] under Joash after Joash had been on the throne, in one capacity or another, for four years--in other words, in the third year of his lone reign.<ref name=Ussher/><ref name=Wood/> This suggests that Joash spent the next twelve years on military campaigns against Syria.<ref name=Wood/> − − == War with Amaziah == − Syria was not the only country with whom Joash would have to fight a war. King [[Amaziah]] of the [[Southern Kingdom]], fresh from a great victory over the [[Edom]]ites, challenged Joash to a battle. This was extremely ironic, because Joash had initially accepted a hundred-[[talent]] payment in silver for the hire of 100,000 [[Ephraim (tribe)|Ephraimite]] troops to participate in the battle against Edom. Amaziah, however, sent them back,<ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Chronicles|chap=25|verses=6-10}}</ref> whereupon those troops went on a rampage against some Judah-ite cities. Amaziah, perhaps having this as a provocation, threatened war against Joash and his entire country. − − Joash advised Amaziah as gently as he could that he ought to revel in his recent victory and go home, rather than start a war that he would not win. Amaziah did not heed the advice. Thus the two kings met in battle at [[Bethshemesh]], a city belonging to the Southern Kingdom. Joash won the day, took Amaziah prisoner, and then marched to [[Jerusalem]], where he broke a hole in its wall with a breadth of four hundred cubits (about 533 [[US Customary system|US Customary]] [[Foot (length)|feet]], or about 160 [[meter]]s). Then Joash took great spoil, including all the [[gold]] and [[silver]] in the Temple and palace treasuries, and returned to [[Samaria]], his capital.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=14|verses=8-14}}</ref><ref name=GeoCities/> − − == Death and Chronological Questions == − Joash died soon after this battle. He had reigned for sixteen years, including twelve during which he had a good viceroy who would prove an even better lone successor. − − The Bible says that Amaziah lived for another fifteen years after Joash's death.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=14|verses=17}}</ref> This is entirely in accord with the [[James Ussher|Ussher]] chronology, according to which Amaziah's son [[Uzziah]], at the age of sixteen, began to reign in 810 BC. The [[Edwin R. Thiele|Thiele]] chronology has a problem, however, for it has Uzziah beginning to reign in 792 BC. Joash must have lived until 782 BC by Thiele's system--and if Amaziah lived fifteen years after that, then he would have lived until 767 BC--about twenty-four or twenty-five years out of synchrony with Uzziah. − − Thiele's solution, as attested by [[Larry Pierce]],<ref name=Pierce>[[Larry Pierce]], [http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i1/chronology.asp Evidentialism–the Bible and Assyrian chronology] ''TJ'' 15(1):62–68 April 2001</ref> was to state that Uzziah began to reign ''as viceroy'' in the Southern Kingdom in 792 BC. But the Bible says that Uzziah began his reign when he was sixteen years of age.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=II_Kings|chap=14|verses=20-21}}</ref> Only two resolutions are possible, and one of these is physically ''im''possible: − − # Uzziah was made viceroy of the Southern Kingdom fully eight years before he was born.<ref name=Pierce/> − # Uzziah was made viceroy at ''sixteen'' and then became sole ruler of the Southern Kingdom twenty-four years later, and then reigned alone for another seventeen years.<ref name=Pierce2>[[Larry Pierce]], "Some Objections Considered," in [[James Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World]]'', Larry Pierce, ed., Master Books, 2003, pp. 921-926 ISBN 0890513600</ref> But that would mean that Amaziah sired Uzziah when he, Amaziah, was twelve years old. That is entirely possible--and in fact a future king of the Southern Kingdom must surely have sired his own successor when he was even younger. But it requires much "multiplication of guesses" because it violates the plain reading of so many verses. (This system also assumes that for ten years, Uzziah granted his son a viceroyship.) − − == References == − <references/> − == See Also == − * [[Jehoahaz]] − * [[Elisha]] − * [[Jeroboam II]] − * [[Amaziah]] − * [[Northern Kingdom]] − * [[Biblical chronology dispute]] − − [[Category:Bible]] − [[Category:Biblical persons]] − [[Category:Biography]] − [[Category:Israel]] − [[Category:Ancient History]]
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