Ahaz, Genealogy research site, utilized to the history of the world and compare it to today through genealogy.

Ahaz (Hebrew: אחז‎, lit. "has held", an abbreviation of Jehoahaz, "God has held") was king of Judah, and the son and successor of Jotham^[1]. He took the throne at the age of twenty (2 Kings 16:2). William F. Albright has dated his reign to 735 BC-715 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 732 BC-716 BC. His reign is described in 2 Kings 16; Isaiah 7-9; and 2 Chronicles 28. He is one the kings mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

He is said to have given himself up to a life of wickedness, introducing many pagan and idolatrous customs (Isa. 8:19; 38:8; 2 Kings 23:12). Perhaps his wickedest deed was sacrificing his own son, likely to Molech; he also added an idolatrous altar into the Temple (II Kings 16). He ignored the remonstrances and warnings of the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah, and appealed to Tiglath-Pileser III, the king of Assyria, for help against Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, Prince of Israel, who threatened Jerusalem. This brought a great injury to his kingdom, and his own humiliating subjection to the Assyrians (2 Kings 16:7, 9; 15:29).

He died at the age of 35 (Isaiah 14:28), after reigning 16 years, and was succeeded by his son Hezekiah. Because of his wickedness he was "not brought into the sepulchre of the kings."

References

^ Isaiah 7:1