The Stripping of the Bulls: A Reexamination of the Role of Ahaz in Deuteronomistic Historiography

Abstract

Scholars have used the regnal formulae in Kings to reconstruct at least three successive editions at work—a Hezekian version of Kings, a Josianic redaction, and an exilic redaction. Nevertheless, there have only rarely been examinations of how the evaluation of a particular king interacts with the narrative account of that king’s tenure. This paper will examine the ways in which Ahaz’s evaluation is at odds with the narrative depiction of his reign. By analyzing each element of his evaluation, this paper argues that there is evidence that a Josianic or later redactor modified an originally positive evaluation of this king. When taken on its own terms, the narrative account of Ahaz presents a king who rescued his nation, installed a large altar for public use, and removed iconography from the Jerusalem temple. Given this analysis, Ahaz should be understood as a precursor to, rather than a foil of, Hezekiah’s reform program.