Menasseh: The Most Evil King in History

1. Menasseh 697-642 BCE

2. The Most Evil King 2 Kings ch. 21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty five years, and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. And he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord; like the abominations of the nations that the Lord had driven out from before the children of Israel. And he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars to Baal and he made and Asherah as Ahab the king of Israel had made and he prostrated himself to the entire host of heaven and he worshiped them. And he built altars in the house of the Lord, concerning which the Lord had said “In Jerusalem I will establish My Name.” And he built altars for the entire host of Heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he passed his son through fire; he practiced soothsaying and divination and he consulted necromancers and those that divine by the Jidoa bone he did much evil in the eyes of the Lord to provoke him. He placed the graven image of the Ahsherah that he made in the house concerning which the Lord had said to David and Solomon “In this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel while I establish my name forever and I will not continue to cause Israel’s feet to wander from the land I have given their forefather's if they will but observe to act in accordance with all the I have commanded them according to all the law that Moses My servant commanded them.” • מלכים ב פרק כא • בֶּן שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה מְנַשֶּׁה בְמָלְכוֹ וַחֲמִשִּׁים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ חֶפְצִי בָהּ: וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְקֹוָק כְּתוֹעֲבֹת הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הוֹרִישׁ יְקֹוָק מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: וַיָּשָׁב וַיִּבֶן אֶת הַבָּמוֹת אֲשֶׁר אִבַּד חִזְקִיָּהוּ אָבִיו וַיָּקֶם מִזְבְּחֹת לַבַּעַל וַיַּעַשׂ אֲשֵׁרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְכָל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיַּעֲבֹד אֹתָם: וּבָנָה מִזְבְּחֹת בְּבֵית יְקֹוָק אֲשֶׁר אָמַר יְקֹוָק בִּירוּשָׁלִַם אָשִׂים אֶת שְׁמִי: וַיִּבֶן מִזְבְּחוֹת לְכָל צְבָא הַשָּׁמָיִם בִּשְׁתֵּי חַצְרוֹת בֵּית יְקֹוָק: וְהֶעֱבִיר אֶת בְּנוֹ בָּאֵשׁ וְעוֹנֵן וְנִחֵשׁ וְעָשָׂה אוֹב וְיִדְּעֹנִים הִרְבָּה לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְקֹוָק לְהַכְעִיס: וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת פֶּסֶל הָאֲשֵׁרָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה בַּבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר אָמַר יְקֹוָק אֶל דָּוִד וְאֶל שְׁלֹמֹה בְנוֹ בַּבַּיִת הַזֶּה וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתִּי מִכֹּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָשִׂים אֶת שְׁמִי לְעוֹלָם: וְלֹא אֹסִיף לְהָנִיד רֶגֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לַאֲבוֹתָם רַק אִם יִשְׁמְרוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִים וּלְכָל הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֹתָם עַבְדִּי מֹשֶׁה: וְלֹא שָׁמֵעוּ וַיַּתְעֵם מְנַשֶּׁה לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הָרָע מִן הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁמִיד יְקֹוָק מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: Menasseh 697-642 BCE

3. Assyrian Domination • 671 Assyria invades Egypt and defeated the Nubian Pharaoh and took control of the Nile Delta • 669 Assyria captures and sacks Thebes • Judah’s army participated in the attacks • Menasseh is a loyal vassal • 2 Chronicles ch. 33 • Assyria’s control wanes • It is surrounded by revolts • East – Elam and Babylonia • North – Cimmerians • Internally Assyria is exhausted from being at war for the last few decades • דברי הימים ב פרק לג • וַיָּבֵא יְקֹוָק עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת שָׂרֵי הַצָּבָא אֲשֶׁר לְמֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וַיִּלְכְּדוּ אֶת מְנַשֶּׁה בַּחֹחִים וַיַּאַסְרֻהוּ בַּנְחֻשְׁתַּיִם וַיּוֹלִיכֻהוּ בָּבֶלָה:וּכְהָצֵר לוֹ חִלָּה אֶת פְּנֵי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהָיו וַיִּכָּנַע מְאֹד מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתָיו:וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֵלָיו וַיֵּעָתֶר לוֹ וַיִּשְׁמַע תְּחִנָּתוֹ וַיְשִׁיבֵהוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַם לְמַלְכוּתוֹ וַיֵּדַע מְנַשֶּׁה כִּי יְקֹוָק הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים: • Hashem brought on them the generals of the king of Assyria and they captured him in chochim and brought him to Babylonia in chains. And in his pain he turned to Hashem his Lord and he was much humbled in front of the Lord of his fathers. He prayed to him and his prayer was heard and Menasseh was returned to his kingdom and he knew Hashem was the Lord. Menasseh 697-642 BCE

4. Josiah

5. Amon • Amon becomes king after Menasseh he is replaced by a conspiracy • The Am Ha’aretz force Josiah to take the throne • Jer 1:18 Josiah

6. Josiah