Pekah

Pekah, Hebrew פֶּקָה, was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) in the 8th century BCE. He was the son of Remaliah and came to the throne after the assassination of Pekahiah, ruling for about twenty years, traditionally dated to c. 752–732 BCE. In the biblical account, Pekah is described as doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

During his reign, Pekah formed an alliance with Rezin, king of Aram-Damascus, to overthrow Ahaz, king of Judah, in the Syro-Ephraimite War. The coalition attacked Judah, prompting Ahaz to appeal to Assyria for help. The alliance is depicted in the books of Isaiah (notably Isaiah 7) as a test of faith for Ahaz and as a sign of coming judgment against Israel and Aram.

Towards the end of Pekah's reign, Hoshea, who would become his successor, plotted against him, eventually killing Pekah and taking the throne of Israel (Samaria). Pekah's death preceded the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom. In 722 BCE, Samaria fell to the Assyrian Empire, ending the northern kingdom's independence.

Pekah is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in 2 Kings 15:27–30 and in the prophetic book of Isaiah 7, where his alliance with Rezin is described. In scholarly study, Pekah's reign is used to illustrate the political turmoil of the kingdom of Israel in the late 8th century BCE, including Israel's relations with Judah and with Assyria.