| abstract | - Jehoash (Hebrew: יהואש המלך; Latin: Joas; fl. c. 790 BC), whose name means “Yahweh has given,” was a king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel and the son of Jehoahaz. He was the 12th king of Israel and reigned for 16 years. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 801 BC – 786 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 798 BC – 782 BC. When he ascended the throne, the Kingdom of Israel was suffering from the predations of the Arameans, whose king Hazael was reducing the amount of land controlled by Israel. Later in his reign, Jehoash was involved in war with Amaziah, the king of Judah. Jehoash utterly defeated Amaziah at Beth-shemesh, on the borders of Dan and Philistia. Jehoash then advanced on Jerusalem, broke down a portion of the wall, and carried away the treasures of the Temple and the palace. After the battle he soon died and was buried in Samaria. According to the second book of Kings, Jehoash was a sinful king and did evil in the eyes of the LORD. He tolerated the worship of the golden calves, yet maintained an appearance of worshipping Yahweh. He held the prophet Elisha in honor, and wept by his bedside while he was dying. At this meeting, Elisha predicted he would defeat the Arameans three times. The prediction came true; Jehoash sacked Jerusalem, taking hostages to assure good conduct.
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