King Josiah (Judah)

Josiah became king as a child after the assassination of his father Amon. He is remembered as one of the greatest and most righteous kings of Judah, similar to Hezekiah, because he led a major religious reform. During repairs to the Temple, the Book of the Torah was found, which deeply shook Josiah and pushed him to renew the covenant with God. He removed idolatry, destroyed pagan altars, cleansed the Temple, and even extended reforms into former northern Israelite territory, including places like Bethel, where Jeroboam I had set up one of the golden calves.

Josiah consulted the prophetess Huldah, who confirmed that judgment would eventually come upon Judah because of its sins, but that Josiah himself would be spared from seeing the destruction because of his humility. Politically, his reign happened as Assyria was weakening and Babylon was rising. Josiah died at Megiddo after confronting Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, who was marching north to assist Assyria. His death was a major tragedy for Judah and marked the beginning of the kingdom’s final decline.