Biblical references
Text: World English Bible (public domain). The ESV and NKJV are the preferred study translations and are referenced, not reproduced.
1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem. 2 Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 The king of Egypt removed him from office at Jerusalem, and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 Pharaoh Necoh put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 Pharaoh Necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim; but he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Necoh. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done.
Kings: Jehoahaz imprisoned at Riblah; Jehoiakim's regnal summary follows (23:36–37).
Connection: Jeremiah's oracle on Shallum (Jehoahaz), who will not return. (confidence: high)
Biblical account
Layer: Biblical text
The people made Jehoahaz king; he reigned three months until the king of Egypt removed him, fined the land 100 talents of silver and one of gold, made Eliakim king under the name Jehoiakim and took Jehoahaz to Egypt.
Historical overview
Layer: Historical reconstruction · Period: 609 BC
The Babylonian Chronicle (ABC 3) records an Egyptian army crossing the Euphrates to besiege Harran in Du'ûzu–Ulûlu 609, the campaign during which Josiah was killed (2 Kgs 23:29). Kings adds that Necho held Jehoahaz at Riblah.[1]
- Necho II: Pharaoh, overlord of Judah[1]
- Jehoahaz (son of Josiah): Deposed king
- Jehoiakim: Installed king
Kingdoms: Egypt (Twenty-sixth Dynasty), Kingdom of Judah
Date and chronology derivation
Ranges are computed by the project's deterministic chronology engine from the biblical statements and each model's reign anchors. They are reconstructions, not independent dates.
609 BC
Model-independent (applies under every chronology model) · precision: reign
How this range was derived
Earliest bound
- reign of Jehoiakim began between 1 Aug 609 BC and 31 Jan 608 BC (model-independent) (2 Kings 23:36)[1, 2, 3]Assumption: Josiah was killed as Necho marched north (2 Kgs 23:29); the Egyptian army crossed the Euphrates against Harran in Du'ûzu 609 and besieged it until Ulûlu (ABC 3); Jehoahaz reigned three months (2 Kgs 23:31) before Necho installed Jehoiakim (2 Kgs 23:34). Conservative window 1 Aug 609 – 31 Jan 608. Model-independent reconstruction from the Babylonian chronicles and the stated reign lengths; individual chronologists differ by months.
- “The king of Egypt made Eliakim … king over Judah” — Necho II deposes Jehoahaz and installs Jehoiakim (609 BC) within reign reign of Jehoiakim (2 Chronicles 36:4)Assumption: The installation marks the start of Jehoiakim's reign (window Aug 609 – Jan 608, from ABC 3 and the three months of Jehoahaz).
Latest bound
- Synchronism: Josiah's death (2 Kgs 23:29) during Necho's march to Harran (ABC 3, Nabopolassar year 17) — independently dated between 1 Mar 609 BC and 31 Jul 609 BC (Babylonian regnal year fixed by Ptolemy's Canon and astronomical texts (Parker & Dubberstein, via Livius)) (2 Kings 23:29)[1]Assumption: Before the Euphrates crossing in Du'ûzu 609 (ABC 3); 1 March is an operator margin. Kings and the chronicle describe the same Egyptian expedition; the chronicle records Egypt's help to Assyria in 610 and 609, and the 609 crossing is the one that follows Josiah's three-month successor (2 Kgs 23:31–33).
- “Jehoahaz … reigned three months in Jerusalem. Pharaoh Necoh put him in bonds at Riblah” — Necho II deposes Jehoahaz and installs Jehoiakim (609 BC) months later Josiah killed at Megiddo by Necho II (609 BC) (2 Kings 23:31–33)[4]Assumption: Josephus: three months and ten days (Ant. 10.5.2).
What else was happening? (model-independent)
- Jehoiakim (reign): 609 BC – 597 BC
- Daniel's night vision of the four beasts and its interpretation (Dan 7): ? – 539 BC
- Daniel's vision of the ram and the goat at Susa (Dan 8): ? – 539 BC
- Josiah (reign): 641 BC – 609 BC
- Josiah desecrates Jeroboam's altar at Bethel and the high places of Samaria: 641 BC – 609 BC
- Josiah's covenant and the purge of Jerusalem and Judah: 625 BC – 609 BC
- Josiah killed at Megiddo by Necho II (609 BC): 609 BC
Ancient and modern geography
Location confidence assumes the event as described. Whether it occurred is assessed in the claims below.
| Place | Connection to this event | Location identification |
|---|---|---|
| RiblahRibla | Where Necho held Jehoahaz (2 Kgs 23:33)Location confidence: certain | Riblah (Pleiades 431124909): certain[5] |
Claims, evidence and classifications
Each claim is classified on its own. A classification describes the evidence for that specific claim, not for the event as a whole.
Necho II's army was in Syria in 609 BC when Josiah died and Judah passed under Egyptian control.
ABC 3 records the Egyptian army crossing the Euphrates to Harran in 609; 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles narrate Necho's deposition of Jehoahaz. The deposition itself is not externally recorded.
Supporting
- In Du'ûzu 609 a great Egyptian army crossed the river and marched on Harran.[1]Strength: direct·ll. 66–75·Claim checked
Research date 2026-10-13
Necho deposed Jehoahaz, imposed tribute and installed Jehoiakim.
Attested by 2 Kgs 23:31–35 and 2 Chr 36:1–4 only; consistent with Egyptian control of the region in 609–605.
Context
- Necho deposed him after three months, tribute 100 talents of silver and a talent of gold.[6]Strength: indirect·on 36:1–4·Claim checked
Research date 2026-10-13
Evidence by type
The same evidence regrouped by kind of source. Each item names the claims it bears on.
Archaeological evidence
None recorded for this event.
Scientific findings
None recorded for this event.
Ancient documents
- In Du'ûzu 609 a great Egyptian army crossed the river and marched on Harran.[1]Bears on: supporting — “Necho II's army was in Syria in 609 BC when Josiah died and Judah pass…”
Modern news and announcements
None recorded for this event.
Reference works and summaries
None recorded for this event.
Related passages and events
| From | Relationship | To | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| this event | Same eventhigh · Biblical text | 2 Kings 23:31–35 | Kings' account of the same deposition (Riblah; tribute; Eliakim renamed). |
| this event | Direct referencehigh · Biblical text | Jeremiah 22:10–12 | Jeremiah's oracle on Shallum (Jehoahaz), who will not return. |
| this event | Followed byhigh · Biblical text | Jehoiakim submits to Nebuchadnezzar for three years, then rebels (2 Kgs 24:1–4) | Jehoiakim, installed by Necho, later became Nebuchadnezzar's servant. |
Prophetic relationships
No prophecy or proposed-fulfillment relationships have been recorded for this event.
Commentary references
Layer: Interpretation. This is commentary, not historical evidence.
Guzik notes that Jehoahaz was the people's, not God's, choice and that Necho imposed tribute and took him to Egypt.[6]
Unanswered questions and research gaps
- ABC 3 (Livius) re-read
- Enduring Word 2 Chronicles 36
Research process
1 logged searches
| Date | Query | Where | Useful |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-13 | Egyptian sources for Necho's Levantine administration not researched. | local text / web fetch | 1 |
Sources
- 1.Lendering, Jona (ed.). ABC 3 (Fall of Nineveh Chronicle) — English translation on Livius.org. Livius.org. www.livius.orgClaim checkedAncient primary textYears 16–17 of Nabopolassar read.Verification log
- 2.Wikipedia contributors. Jehoiakim — Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. en.wikipedia.orgClaim checkedPopular summaryVerification log
- 3.Lendering, Jona (ed.). ABC 5 (Jerusalem Chronicle / Chronicle of the early years of Nebuchadnezzar) — English translation on Livius.org. Livius.org. www.livius.orgClaim checkedAncient primary textFull translation page read (obverse 1–27, reverse 1′–13′). Cuneiform and the printed editions (Wiseman 1956; Grayson 1975; Glassner 2004) were not consulted directly. Julian equivalents on the page follow Parker & Dubberstein.Verification log
- 4.Josephus, Whiston, William (trans.). Josephus, Antiquities 10.4.1–10.5.2 (trans. W. Whiston). Project Gutenberg #2848. www.gutenberg.orgClaim checkedAncient primary textVerification log
- 5.Pleiades contributors. Rablê (Riblah) — Pleiades place 431124909. Pleiades (pleiades.stoa.org). pleiades.stoa.orgClaim checkedInstitutional databaseRepresentative point read from the Pleiades JSON record: lon 36.5491417, lat 34.4321487.Verification log
- 6.Guzik, David. 2 Chronicles 36 — Enduring Word Bible Commentary. Enduring Word. enduringword.comClaim checkedTheological commentaryInterpretive resource — not historical corroboration.Verification log