Whatever did happen to King Jehoahaz of Judah?

by Damien F. Mackey To get right to the point: King Jehoahaz of Judah has not been omitted from Matthew’s Genealogy at all. He is there under two alter ego names: Amon and Jehoiachin. And Amon-Jehoiachin is the Haman of the Book of Esther. The record of the life of Jehoahaz, qua Jehoahaz, can be read in a paltry few verses in 2 Kings 23:30-34 and in 2 Chronicles 36:1-4. 2 Kings 30 …. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father. Jehoahaz King of Judah 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 32 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his predecessors had done. 33 Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died. 2 Chronicles 1 And the people of the land took Jehoahaz [Joahaz] son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father. Jehoahaz King of Judah 2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. 3 The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt. These two mini biographies provide us with almost the same details, and wording, but also with a few important variations from the one to the other. Matthew the Evangelist, in his Genealogy of the Kings of Judah (1:7-11), completely omits Jehoahaz, qua Jehoahaz, even though the latter did actually reign for a short period of time in Jerusalem. I am using the phrase “Jehoahaz, qua Jehoahaz”, because, although we know extremely little about this king under that name, there is, so I believe, far more to King Jehoahaz of Judah than is given in the two OT sections above (2 Kings and 2 Chronicles). King Jehoahaz (var. Joahaz, 2 Chronicles 36:1) of Judah was, in fact, a highly significant person in the history of Israel, as we are going to learn. To get right to the point: King Jehoahaz of Judah has not been omitted from Matthew’s Genealogy at all. He is there under two alter ego names: Amon and Jehoiachin. And Amon-Jehoiachin is the Haman of the Book of Esther: King Amon's descent into Aman (Haman) (4) King Amon’s descent into Aman (Haman) | Damien Mackey - Academia.edu Jehoahaz as Haman-Amon-Jehoiachin Points in favour • Chronologically, Jehoahaz was contemporaneous with Jehoiachin. • Like Jehoiachin, Jehoahaz “reigned in Jerusalem three months” (cf. 2 Kings 24:8; 23:31). • Very much like Amon, “twenty-two years old” (2 Kings 21:19), Jehoahaz “was twenty-three years old when he became king” (23:31). • The mother of Jehoahaz was Hamutal (2 Kings 23:31), whom I have identified as the Hammedatha in Esther 3:1: “Haman son of Hammedatha”. • Jehoahaz, who “did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his predecessors had done” (23:32), was, in this regard, just like Amon (21:20) and Jehoiachin (24:9). I had identified the name “Haman” (var. Aman) of the Book of Esther as Egyptian, Amon – and rightly, I think: Evil persecutor of the Jews, Haman, had Egyptian name (7) Evil persecutor of the Jews, Haman, had Egyptian name | Damien Mackey - Academia.edu My case would now be strengthened considerably if - as I am now arguing - Haman was the same as King Jehoahaz of Judah, who was actually taken captive into Egypt by pharaoh Necho. So we have some welcome coincidences here, further enhancing my previous articles of revision: Jehoahaz/Jehoiachin reigned for “three months”; Jehoahaz’s mother was Hamutal, identified as Haman’s parent, Hammedatha; Jehoahaz was taken captive to Egypt, so an Egyptian name could be expected. Points not in favour • Whilst Jehoiachin, Jehoahaz “reigned in Jerusalem three months” (cf. 2 Kings 24:8; 23:31), Amon “reigned in Jerusalem two years” (21:19). • Very much like Amon, “twenty-two years old” (2 Kings 21:19), Jehoahaz “was twenty-three years old when he became king” (23:31), but Jehoiachin “was eighteen years old when he became king” (24:8). • The mother of Jehoahaz was Hamutal (2 Kings 23:31), but she is not given as the mother of Amon, of Jehoiachin. • Jehoahaz died in Egypt according to 23:34, whereas Haman died in Susa. The rather slight differences in lengths of reign could be accounted for by co-regency. Amon, Jehoiachin, Jehoahaz – all young at the beginning of reign. The mother is admittedly problematical. Hamutal, for Jehoahaz, is not matched by: (Amon) “His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah” (21;19). (Jehoiachin) “His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem” (24:8). Grandmother, aunt, may perhaps also be applicable here. We know how tricky genealogies can be. The 2 Chronicles version of Jehoahaz does not mention that he died in Egypt.