Zechariah of Israel

Zechariah (Hebrew: זְכַרְיָה‎‎ Zəḵaryāh, meaning "remembered by Yah"; also Zachariah, Zacharias; Latin: Zacharias) was a king of the northern Israelite Kingdom of Israel, and son of Jeroboam II.

Zechariah became king of Israel in Samaria in the thirty-eighth year of Azariah, king of Judah. (2 Kings 15:8) William F. Albright has dated his reign to 746 BC – 745 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 753 BC – 752 BC.^[1]

The account of his reign is briefly told in 2 Kings (2 Kings 15:8-12). Zechariah ruled Israel for only six months before Shallum murdered him and took the throne. This ended the dynasty of Jehu after four generations of his descendants, fulfilling the prophecy in 2 Kings 10:30.

Floyd N. Jones suggests that Zechariah may have reigned 12 years. He argues that 2 Kings 15:8 may indicate that Zechariah did not begin reigning in the 38th year of Azariah, but that in his final year he reigned six months into Azariah's 38th year. Jones suggests that Zechariah most likely reigned from 784 to 772 BC.^[2]

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