Manasseh

Manasseh was the 14th ruler of the kingdom of Judah he reigned for 55 years (c. 697 c. 642 b.c.), during part of which he was apparently coregent with his father Hezekiah. An ancient Hebrew seal, published in 1963, bears the inscription "Belonging to Manasseh, son of the king." On paleographic grounds the seal can be dated to either the 8th or the 7th cent. b.c.

It is therefore possible that this seal belonged to Manasseh, King Hezekiah's son, before he ascended the throne, though it may have belonged to another royal prince of the same name who lived somewhat earlier or later than King Manasseh. He did not follow his father's good example, but was more wicked than any of his predecessors. He re—established the high places, erected an altar to Baal, and made a cult object to Asherah. He worshiped many other gods in the Temple courts, and sacrificed one of his sons by fire. He ignored the prophets' warnings of the consequences of his evildoings and persecuted many followers of the true God, as the statement that he shed much innocent blood obviously indicates (2 Ki 21:1—16 2 Chr 33:1—10).

As a punishment for his wicked deeds God delivered him into the hands of the Assyrian kings. Both Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal mention Manasseh as having paid tribute to them, one king spelling his name Menasi and the other Minsie. Yet he seems to have been a disloyal vassal, for on one occasion he was taken captive to Babylon—which was at that time part of the Assyrian Empire—by either Esarhaddon or Ashurbanipal. However, he was allowed to return when the Assyrian king apparently became convinced that Manasseh would henceforth be loyal.

Although a non—Biblical record of Manasseh's captivity has not yet been found in cuneiform sources, the experience is not without parallels. For example, the Egyptian ruler Necho (I), king of Sais, was made vassal king of Egypt by Esarhaddon. After Esarhaddon's death Necho rebelled against Assyria, and was taken to Mesopotamia as a prisoner. While there he succeeded in gaining the confidence of Ashurbanipal, who pardoned him and restored him to his throne in Sais. While captive in Babylon, Manasseh repented, and after his return to Jerusalem he tried to undo his former wickedness by removing idolatry from his kingdom and from the Temple.

Yet he did not abolish the high places, although he allowed worship only of the true God in them. The chronicler records that he engaged in extensive building activity in Jerusalem and that he strengthened the army (2 Chr 33:11—17). After a reign of more years than that of any other Hebrew king, Manasseh died, leaving the throne to his son Amon. He was buried in the garden of his own house (2 Ki 21:18 2 Chr 33:20).