Ahaz

Ahaz was a king of Judah who ruled from Jerusalem in the 8th century BCE, traditionally dated to about 735–715 BCE. He was the son of Jotham and the father of Hezekiah. His reign occurred during a period of intense regional pressure as the kingdoms of Israel and Aram-Damascus formed an alliance against Judah, and as the Assyrian empire began to expand.

Political context and policy: Facing threats from Pekah, king of Israel, and Rezin of Aram-Damascus, Ahaz sought security through an alliance with Assyria. He sent tribute and appealed to the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III, a policy that ultimately increased Assyrian influence over Judah. This alignment with Assyria helped Judah survive the immediate crisis but did little to check Assyrian dominance in the region.

Religious and cultural policy: Biblical sources portray Ahaz as promoting and accommodating foreign religious practices. He is said to have imitated the altar pattern of Damascus and altered temple worship accordingly, including offering sacrifices on a new altar. He is also described as participating in or tolerating practices associated with idolatry and, according to some accounts, sacrificing his son in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, an act cited as part of the broader critique of his reign.

Succession and legacy: Ahaz died and was succeeded by his son Hezekiah, who would later pursue religious reforms aimed at restoring Yahweh-centered worship. Ahaz’s reign is often characterized in biblical texts as a time of political pragmatism that increased Assyrian influence and a period of religious compromise, set against the broader backdrop of Judah’s precarious status in a volatile region.