Jonah’s two callings to Nineveh were spaced well apart in time

 

by

Damien F. Mackey

 

 

“Even if they hide at the bottom of the ocean,

I will send the sea serpent after them to bite them”.

 Amos 9:3

  

Two biblical prophets, Amos and Jeremiah, provide, respectively, something of a terminus a quo and a terminus ad quem for what I would consider to have been two separate – and well spaced in time – callings by the Lord of the prophet Jonah.

 

Testimony of Amos

 

Amos (Amoz, Amaziah), who was “Amittai” the father of Jonah. See my latest article:

 

Were any Old Testament prophets from Galilee?

 

(4) Were any Old Testament prophets from Galilee?

 

clearly refers to the first episode, the one involving Jonah’s flight (the storm at sea) and the great sea creature (Jonah ch’s 1-2), when he writes (Amos 9:3): “Even if they hide at the bottom of the ocean, I will send the sea serpent after them to bite them”.

 

It is hardly surprising that Amos should refer to such a significant incident in the life of his family, for he, as Micah (“Amos redivivus”), and his son, Isaiah (Jonah), were an intertwined Simeonite prophetic combination, both, for example, going naked and barefoot (cf. Micah 1:8; Isaiah 20:2) and both preaching absolutely identical messages:

 

Micah 4:1-3:

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

 

Isaiah 2:2-4:

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

 

But Amos (Micah) was no longer alive when his son’s second calling to Nineveh occurred decades later than the first one.

 

Testimony of Jeremiah

 

Jeremiah retrospectively recalls the latter days of Amos-Micah (Jeremiah 26:18): “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets’.”

 

Jeremiah was, contrary to the received chronology, a younger contemporary of the reforming king Hezekiah of Judah and his great prophet Isaiah (Jonah).

For Hezekiah was the same as Jeremiah’s reforming king, Josiah - and Isaiah was the same as Josiah’s high official, Asaiah (2 Kings 22:12).

 

With the significant condensing of Judean history, due to the recognition of the era of King Hezekiah as being the era of King Josiah - see e.g. my article:

 

Damien F. Mackey’s A Tale of Two Theses

 

(6) Damien F. Mackey's A Tale of Two Theses’

 

then there must occur a corresponding reduction of Assyro-Chaldean (and Egyptian) history. And so, while in conventional terms the prophet Amos would seem a long way away from the prophet Jeremiah, in this revised structure of things their lives partly overlapped, Amos being the contemporaneous prophet Zephaniah (a Simeonite).

 

Amos, referring to what are effectively chapters 1-2 of the Book of Jonah, will be succeeded by Jeremiah, who was a contemporary of Jonah chapters 3-4, involving the conversion of Nineveh.

 

This incident occurred right at the troublous beginning of the reign of the superstitious and paranoïc Esarhaddon, Jonah 3:6’s “king of Nineveh”.

He, the insane, Babylon-building, invader of Egypt, was none other than Nebuchednezzar, the insane, Babylon-building, invader of Egypt.

 

And, just as the pantomiming prophet, Amos-Micah, had subtly represented his son’s great fish trauma as pantomiming faithless Israel trying to flee from the Lord, so now will Jeremiah symbolise his contemporary, Nebuchednezzar, as Jonah’s great fish swallowing Israel (51:34): “King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has set me aside like an empty dish; he has swallowed me like a sea monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies; he has vomited me out”.

My previous reconstructions of the life of Jonah had the long-lived prophet as a very old man, indeed, when undergoing the storm at sea, being dumped into the ocean, and being swallowed whole by the great sea monster.

This revised version potentially, at least, takes decades off that severe biological strain.

 

Were any Old Testament prophets from Galilee?

 

by

Damien F. Mackey

  

“[The Pharisees] replied, ‘Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it,

and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee’.”

 John 7:52

  

Some years ago the question was asked:

biblical basis - What prophets came from Galilee? - Christianity Stack Exchange

 

What prophets came from Galilee?

 

According to the Pharisees at the time of Jesus, no prophet ever came from Galilee.

And I suspect that these nit-pickers of Scripture would have been perfectly correct in their knowledge of, and insistence upon, this. 

 

However, the suggestion is made in the following discussion that the Pharisees were actually wrong when they claimed that no prophet came from Galilee.

And so we read:

 

This question talks about how in John 7:52, the Pharisees claimed that "no prophet comes out of Galilee." The accepted answer discusses how commentators often point out the Pharisees' mistake, and N.T. Wright points out that "both the prophets Jonah and Hosea came from Galilee." In addition, I found this link, which says that 5 prophets came from Galilee: Jonah, Nahum, Hosea, Elijah, and Elisha. BibleStudyTools.org has an article with a discussion about how Micah, Elijah, and Jonah being from Galilee, and how Nahum and Hosea could possibly have come from Galilee.

 

Which prophets are from Galilee, and how do we know? 

 

An associated question, what is the source of the uncertainty surrounding this question? Perhaps I could word the question, what is the (Biblical and archeological) basis for saying that these 5 prophets are from Galilee?\

 

1. Jonah from Gath-hepher

 

2 Kings 14:25 "He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea, in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher."

Wikipedia on Gath-hepher says it is in modern-day Galilee (maybe that's what it is saying?). Joshua 29:13 describes more where this place is.

 

2. Micah from Moresheth

 

Micah 1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

BibleAtlas.org doesn't mention Galilee at all in the article on Moresheth, nor does Wikipedia in their article on Moresheth-Gath. Wikipedia says Moresheth = Moresheth-Gath.

 

3. Elijah from Gilead

 

1 Kings 17:1 "Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.'"

2 Kings 15:29 actually seems to differentiate between Gilead and Galilee, which suggests that Gilead is not contained within Galilee.

Wikipedia on Gilead makes no mention of Galilee, and the Bible Atlas also seems to differentiate Gilead from Galilee by saying that in Gilead there is "the white chalk of the desert plateau, the same as that found in Samaria and Lower Galilee."

 

4. Elisha

(I don't know the basis).

 

5. Hosea

(I don't know the basis).

 

I would like to see the basis for 4 and 5 (Elisha and Hosea) being from Galilee, and I would like to see how we can know 1-3 are actually from Galilee. I would also be interested if there are any other claims that additional prophets are from Galilee. My questions stems from the fact that none the verses say explicitly from Galilee, and I have seen almost nothing supporting the connection between the city mentioned and Galilee. Pardon my lack of knowledge in biblical geography. Perhaps it is obvious that these cities are contained in the region that is Galilee. There may also be a notable difference between the geographical boundaries in Galilee between the Old and New Testament timeframes or even within the Old Testament timeframe, which contains several thousand years of history on its own.

[End of quote]

 

Here six Old Testament prophets are identified as potentially arising from Galilee: namely, Jonah, Nahum, Hosea, Micah, Elijah, and Elisha – except that they didn’t.

First of all, regarding these six prophets listed above, they are actually only four: namely, Elijah, Elisha, Micah and Hosea (= Jonah/Nahum).

 

We can immediately run a line through Elijah, who was from Gilead, not Galilee (I Kings 17:1): “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead …”.

 

And we can immediately run a line through Elisha, who dwelt not very far from Gilead (I Kings 19:16): “And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah …”.

 

And we can immediately run a line through Micah, who was from Judah (Micah 1:1): “The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth …”.

 

That leaves us with just our one, composite prophet, Hosea = Jonah/Nahum.

He was a prophet of the tribe of Simeon, largely a Judah-located tribe: 

 

God can raise up prophets at will - even from a shepherd of Simeon

 

(3) God can raise up prophets at will - even from a shepherd of Simeon

 

He was the great prophet “Isaiah son of Amoz [Amos]” (Isaiah 1:1), or Amaziah:

Amoz | The amazing name Amoz: meaning and etymology , who was the “Amittai”, father of Jonah (Jonah 1:1).

And we know from Tobit 14:4 that Jonah was Nahum.

 

So, now, it really boils down to how to reconcile the geography of Jonah, “Gath-hepher” (2 Kings 14:25), with that of “Nahum the Elkoshite” (Nahum 1:1) - while all the while keeping in mind that this was a composite prophet of the tribe of Simeon?

 

It seems altogether impossible!

 

However, I have already covered much of this geography in various articles.

 

The fact is that our composite prophet, Isaiah (Hosea), as the Simeonite Uzziah now governing “Bethulia”, “… the prince of Juda[h]” and “the prince of the people of Israel” (Judith 8:34; 13:23: Douay), moved about from one end of Israel to the other, and even beyond the borders of Israel.

 

As Isaiah, for instance, we potentially find him fleeing the wrath of King Ahaz and heading northwards into Galilee:

 

Isaiah took his family north to escape the wrath of king Ahaz

 

(3) Isaiah took his family north to escape the wrath of king Ahaz

 

I suggest that the family may have taken up residence there in what would become known as Capernaum, from Kfar Naḥum (כְּפַר נַחוּם), literally, ‘Nahum’s village’, named after the prophet himself as Nahum (a Simeonite):

 

Prophet Nahum as Isaiah Comforted

 

(3) Prophet Nahum as Isaiah Comforted

 

Capernaum’s ancient name may have been Jonah’s “Gath-hepher”.

 

But Jonah did not hail from there, nor was he a Galilean prophet.

 

Nor, again, did he, as Nahum, hail from Al Qosh (“Elcesite”), a location near Nineveh in Assyria.

No, he simply dwelt there for a time while being Jonah in his mission to Nineveh.

 

Conclusion

 

None of Jonah, Nahum, Hosea, Micah, Elijah, Elisha, came from Galilee.

 

The Pharisees were quite correct in this matter.

 

Elijah (Gilead), Elisha (close to the Jordan River), Micah (Moresheth, Mareshah), Hosea (= Jonah/Nahum), a Simeonite from Judah (cf.  Amos 7:12: ‘‘Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah’), all hailed from locations to the south of the land of Galilee.

 

Christological significance of Nahum

 

 

“The “good tidings” of Nahum 1:15 anticipate the gospel itself:

the announcement of peace through the victory of God over evil.

Christ, the ultimate conqueror, defeats not earthly empires

but the greater tyranny of sin and death”.

  

We read at:

Exploring Nahum: Justice and Hope in the Fall of Nineveh

 

The Book of Nahum

 

The book of Nahum is a vivid, poetic, and uncompromising proclamation of divine justice. It announces the fall of Nineveh—the proud capital of the Assyrian Empire—and in doing so, reveals the holiness, sovereignty, and vengeance of God against evil.

 

Often called the “Book of the Burden of Nineveh,” Nahum stands as a sequel to Jonah. Where Jonah reveals God’s mercy toward a repentant city, Nahum reveals His justice toward a city that has returned to violence and arrogance. It is a book that exalts the moral order of the universe, assuring believers that though wickedness may prosper for a time, the Lord will not allow it to endure forever.

 

I. Authorship and Historical Setting

 

Nahum (“Comfort” or “Consolation”) was a prophet from Elkosh, perhaps a small village in Judah.  [Mackey’s comment: Actually, it was Ali Qosh near Nineveh. Nahum, who was Jonah (cf. Tobit 14:4), a prophet from the tribe of Simeon, tarried for a time in Nineveh]. His name fittingly reflects the nature of his message: a comfort to God’s oppressed people and a warning to their cruel oppressors. Beyond this, little is known of his life,

 

[Mackey’s comment: But see my articles, e.g.:

 

De-coding Jonah

 

(8) De-coding Jonah

 

God can raise up prophets at will - even from a shepherd of Simeon

 

(8) God can raise up prophets at will - even from a shepherd of Simeon

 

but his words reveal a man of deep theological conviction and poetic skill.

The prophecy likely dates between 663 and 612 B.C.

 

[Mackey’s comment: See my articles. Nahum-Jonah died well before these dates. Nahum’s No-Amon does not refer too Thebes, as is commonly thought].

 

The earlier date is set by Nahum’s reference to the fall of No-Amon (Thebes) in Egypt (3:8–10), which occurred in 663 B.C., and the later by the destruction of Nineveh itself in 612 B.C. Thus, Nahum wrote sometime in the middle of the seventh century B.C., during the reign of Manasseh or Josiah.

 

This was a period of great distress for Judah. The Assyrian Empire, having dominated the Near East for over a century, had conquered Israel (the northern kingdom) in 722 B.C. and subjected Judah to vassalage and humiliation. Assyria’s cruelty was infamous: its kings boasted of massacres, enslavement, and terror as instruments of control.

 

Nineveh, the empire’s glittering capital, represented the height of human pride and violence. Yet, amid this darkness, Nahum’s message shines as a declaration that God’s justice would prevail: the oppressor would be destroyed and the faithful would find comfort in the Lord’s righteous reign.

 

II. Structure and Literary Design

 

Nahum is one of the most beautifully structured prophetic books, combining artistry with theological force. Its three chapters form a tightly woven prophetic poem that moves from the declaration of divine character to the vivid depiction of Nineveh’s downfall:

 

 

1. The Majesty and Justice of God (Chapter 1)

 

• The book opens with a majestic theophany: a vision of God as a jealous, avenging, and sovereign Lord.
• He is slow to anger yet great in power, and He will not acquit the wicked (1:3).
• The chapter serves as both a psalm of praise and a prelude to judgment, contrasting the destruction of God’s enemies with the peace promised to His people: “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him” (1:7).

 

2. The Siege and Destruction of Nineveh (Chapter 2)

 

• The prophet describes Nineveh’s impending fall in striking military imagery: chariots racing, shields gleaming red, walls breached, and the city plundered.
• The once-mighty empire is reduced to chaos, its wealth carried away, its people fleeing in terror.
• The language is both poetic and prophetic, emphasizing that the devastation is not merely the result of human warfare but of divine retribution: “Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts” (2:13).

 

3. The Reasons for Judgment and Its Finality (Chapter 3)

 

• Nahum details Nineveh’s sins: bloodshed, lies, sorcery, arrogance, and idolatry.
• The “bloody city” (3:1) that had enslaved nations will itself be shamed, stripped, and left desolate.
• The prophecy concludes with a note of finality: “There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous” (3:19).
• The nations, once terrified by Assyria’s power, will rejoice at her fall: “All that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee.”

 

III. Themes and Theology

 

Nahum is a study in the attributes of God revealed through judgment. Its themes are both sobering and strengthening, calling readers to reverence before the justice and sovereignty of the Lord.

 

• The Justice and Holiness of God:
  Nahum affirms that God’s justice is neither arbitrary nor cruel. His wrath is the necessary response of holiness to sin. “The LORD is slow to anger” (1:3), yet when patience ends, His judgment is absolute and righteous.
• The Sovereignty of God Over Nations:
  The downfall of Nineveh demonstrates that no empire—no matter how powerful—can stand against the purposes of God. Nations rise and fall under His decree (cf. Daniel 2:21).
• The Certainty of Judgment:
  Assyria’s destruction was not theoretical but historical. The prophecy’s accuracy underscores that divine warnings are not empty threats. The moral order of the world is upheld by a God who acts.
• The Comfort of the Righteous:
  For Judah, Nahum’s message was not merely about vengeance but about deliverance. “Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace!” (1:15). God’s justice against evil is the foundation of His people’s hope.
• The Danger of Pride and Cruelty:
  Nineveh’s arrogance, cruelty, and self-deification stand as warnings to every generation. The same sins that destroyed Assyria—pride, violence, deceit—remain the downfall of nations and individuals who defy God’s authority.

 

IV. Historical and Apologetic Considerations

 

Archaeological discoveries have confirmed Nahum’s prophecy with striking accuracy. Excavations at Nineveh reveal evidence of a violent destruction consistent with the Babylonian-[sic] Median conquest of 612 B.C.: massive fires, toppled walls, and widespread devastation. Once considered impregnable, Nineveh vanished beneath the sands of history, just as Nahum foretold: “Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her?” (3:7).

 

Nahum’s oracles also correct any misconception that God is indifferent to evil. His destruction of Nineveh, long delayed since Jonah’s time, shows that divine patience is not permissiveness. God’s mercy and justice are not contradictory but complementary. He is merciful in warning and just in fulfilling His word.

 

V. Christological Significance

 

While Nahum does not mention the Messiah directly, it contributes profoundly to the biblical revelation of God’s character, a revelation ultimately fulfilled in Christ. The divine attributes displayed in Nahum—justice, wrath, and steadfast love—find perfect harmony in the person of Jesus.

 

At the cross, God’s wrath against sin and His mercy toward sinners meet in perfect balance. The same Lord who judged Nineveh bore judgment on behalf of His people. The “good tidings” of Nahum 1:15 anticipate the gospel itself: the announcement of peace through the victory of God over evil. Christ, the ultimate conqueror, defeats not earthly empires but the greater tyranny of sin and death.

 

VI. Practical and Devotional Application

 

Nahum calls believers to trust the righteousness of God in times of injustice and oppression.

 

It assures the faithful that evil will not reign forever, and that God’s timing, though mysterious, is always perfect. In an age when moral relativism blurs distinctions between right and wrong, Nahum reminds us that divine justice is absolute and inescapable.

 

The book also warns against pride, self-reliance, and cruelty. Nations and individuals alike are accountable to the Lord of hosts. True security lies not in fortresses or wealth but in humility before God and faith in His Word. For those who trust Him, Nahum’s stern message becomes a source of deep comfort: “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him” (1:7).

 

VII. Conclusion

 

The prophecy of Nahum is both terrifying and consoling: a thunderclap of judgment and a whisper of hope. It declares that the moral universe is not chaotic: God reigns, and He will vindicate His righteousness. Nineveh’s ruins stand as a monument to the truth that no power can withstand His justice.

 

For the believer, Nahum offers this enduring assurance: the same God who brings down the proud also lifts up the humble. The Lord’s vengeance against evil is the foundation of everlasting peace for His people. The book closes, not in despair, but in triumph: the wicked fall and the righteous rest secure in the justice of their Redeemer.

 

 

 

Evidence for the prophet Isaiah during the reign of King Josiah

 

 

by

Damien F. Mackey

 

 

It seems ridiculous, doesn’t it, the prophet Isaiah, considered to have been martyred during the reign of King Manasseh of Judah (d. c. 643 BC, conventional dating), yet somehow still functioning during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (c. 640-609 BC)?

 

How to explain this?

 

That Isaiah was, with his father, Amos (Amoz) (Isaiah 1:1), or Micah, a Simeonite – unlike the typical prophets of Israel (cf. Amos 7:14) – I have now well established in articles such as:

 

God can raise up prophets at will - even from a shepherd of Simeon

 

(5) God can raise up prophets at will - even from a shepherd of Simeon

 

Now, there was a Simeonite leader whose name was Asaiah (1 Chronicles 4:36), and his name is the same as King Josiah’s personal secretary, “Asaiah, servant of the king” (עֲשָׂיָה עֶבֶד-הַמֶּלֶךְ). This was a very high office: Topical Bible: The King of Israel's Servants

“The term "The King of Israel's Servants" refers to those individuals who served the monarchs of the ancient kingdom of Israel. These servants played various roles, ranging from military leaders and advisors to household managers and personal attendants. Their duties and influence varied depending on their position and the king they served”.

 

And his name was found last year (2025) inscribed on a seal.

 

But before we get to that wonderful discovery (see article below), I need briefly to explain how the prophet Isaiah, of the reigns of King Hezekiah and Manasseh, could be the same as the Asaiah who was a high official serving King Josiah.

 

Isaiah was all at once, as I have shown: the prophet Hosea, and the Simeonite Uzziah of the Book of Judith (6:15, “Uzziah, son of Micah of the tribe of Simeon …”), on duty in N. Israel; also Jonah/Nahum, cf. Tobit 14:4 (reputed to be a Simeonite).  

 

Only, though, with my folding of the reforming king, Hezekiah, into the reforming king, Josiah, and the wicked son, Manasseh, into the wicked son, Jehoiakim:

 

Manasseh - Jehoiakim

 

(5) Manasseh - Jehoiakim

 

Advantages if Hezekiah’s son Manasseh is identified with Josiah’s son Jehoiakim

 

(5) Advantages if Hezekiah’s son Manasseh is identified with Josiah's son Jehoiakim

 

can any further necessary connections of Isaiah - also the martyred Isaiah (reign of Manasseh) - with Asaiah - also the martyred Uriah/Urijah (reign of Jehoiakim) (Jeremiah 26:20-23) - be established. 

 

Conclusion

 

The Simeonite prophet, Isaiah, was the same person as the king’s high official, Asaiah.

 

Now to the exciting discovery of that seal:

Has the Name of King Josiah’s Trusted Official Been Found on an Ancient Sealing? - The Temple Mount Sifting Project

 

Has the Name of King Josiah’s Trusted Official Been Found on an Ancient Sealing?

A rare seal impression on clay bearing the Hebrew name “Yed[a‛]yah (son of) Asayahu,” has recently been uncovered in the sifting. This exciting discovery raises the intriguing possibility of a direct link to a well-known biblical story: the finding of a sacred biblical law scroll during the reign of King Josiah of Judah, just years before the destruction of Jerusalem’s First Temple.

…

Discovery and the Decoding of the Sealing

 

… archaeologist Mordechai Ehrlich discovered a rare and exceptionally well-preserved clay sealing, impressed by a stamp seal inscribed with ancient Hebrew letters.

 

Since the discovery of the sealing, an intensive, fast-track study has been conducted …. The researchers—epigrapher Dr. Anat Mendel-Geberovich and Zachi Dvira—have fully deciphered the inscription. They read it as follows:

 

“Belonging to Yed[a‛]yah (son of) Asayahu.”  – ליד[ע]יה (בן) עשיהו

 

Marks on the back of the artifact indicate it was used as a sealing on a bag or storage container. Remarkably, the sealing still retains a clear fingerprint, presumably left by the ancient official who once owned it. According to the style of writing, the sealing dates to the late First Temple period (approximately the late-7th century BCE to the early-6th century BCE).

 

Who was Yeda‛yah, Son of Asayahu?

 

The names inscribed on the sealing are reminiscent of famous figures described in the Hebrew Bible. About 2,600 years ago, King Josiah of Judah ordered repairs made to the Temple in Jerusalem. During these repairs, workers discovered an ancient sacred scroll (Sefer haTorah), likely the Pentateuch book of Deuteronomy (2 Kings 22:12; 2 Chronicles 34:20). When the royal scribe read the scroll to King Josiah, its warnings about the people’s sins and impending divine punishment deeply alarmed the king.

 

Josiah then dispatched trusted officials to seek divine counsel from the prophetess Huldah, who foretold Jerusalem’s future destruction but assured Josiah that he personally would not live to witness it.

 

Among Josiah’s trusted envoys was a senior official named Asayahu [Asaiah], described as “the king’s servant.” Given his prominent role, it is reasonable to assume that his son, Yeda‛yah, may have also served in a prominent position, either at the same time or shortly thereafter.

 

Could the newly discovered sealing belonging to “Yeda‛yah son of Asayahu” indeed reference the son of King Josiah’s trusted official?