Jehoshaphat of Judah


 * 38th of the Biblical Patriarchs
 * Righteous King of Judah
 * Major Biblical figure

Biography
Jehoshaphat of Judah - King of Judah, in close alliance with kings of Israel, but still a true worshipper of Jehovah and a religious reformer; for a history of his reign see 1 Kgs. 15:24; 22; 2 Kgs. 1:17; 3:1–14; 8:16; 12:18; 1 Chr. 3:10; 2 Chr. 17:1–12; 18; 19:1–8; 20; 21:1, 2, 12; 22:9.

Jehoshaphat (/dʒəˈhɒʃəfæt/; alternatively spelled Jehosaphat, Josaphat, or Yehoshafat; Hebrew: יְהוֹשָׁפָט‬, Modern Yəhōšafat, Tiberian Yehōšap̄aṭ, "Jehovah has judged"; Greek: Ἰωσαφάτ, translit. Iosafát; Latin: Josaphat), according to 1 Kings 15:24, was the son of Asa, and the fourth king of the Kingdom of Judah, in succession to his father. His children included Jehoram, who succeeded him as king. His mother was Azubah. Historically, his name has sometimes been connected with the Valley of Josaphat.[1]

William F. Albright has dated the reign of Jehoshaphat to 873–849 BC. E. R. Thiele held that he became coregent with his father Asa in Asa's 39th year, 872/871 BC, the year Asa was infected with a severe disease in his feet, and then became sole regent when Asa died of the disease in 870/869 BC, his own death occurring in 848/847 BC. So Jehoshaphat's dates are taken as one year earlier: co-regency beginning in 873/871, sole reign commencing in 871/870, and death in 849/848 BC.