Ancient Latrine: A Peek into King Hezekiah's Reforms in the Bible?

Biblical Archaeology Review ^ | November 8, 2017 | Robin Ngo

[SunkenCiv]

The Hebrew Bible has several references to King Hezekiah's reforms and attempts to centralize worship in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 29-32 describes his efforts during the first year of his reign to cleanse and refurbish the Temple in Jerusalem, believing that his ancestors had not worshipped the God of Israel dutifully. 2 Kings 18:4 narrates that "he removed the high places (bamot), broke down the pillars (masseboth), and cut down the sacred pole (asherah)."

[SunkenCiv]

It's amazing his reforms weren't wiped out.

BAR authors Sa'ar Ganor and Igor Kramerman believe this latrine excavated at Lachish was symbolically placed to desecrate the shrine as part of Hezekiah's reforms. Photo: Igor Kreimerman.

[SunkenCiv]

[EliRoom8]

Hezekiah was desecrating idol worship (not very pc of him) and was showing himself as one of the most faithful kings of Judah. It was under Hezekiah and counselor/prophet, Isaiah, that 185,000 Assyrian soldiers died in one evening without an arrow being shot or a spear being thrown.

[lefty-lie-spy]

Interesting read. Now I’m linky-linky all over the place to learn more about all the names and places in the article.

[SunkenCiv]

Dear Sennacherib; you want a little more? Just c’mon back. Love, King Hezekiah.

[SunkenCiv]

Imagine the diverticulitis problems they had with all those figs in their diets.

[lefty-lie-spy]

This is getting annoying. I haven’t got any work done in the last hour. I’ve been all over Wikipedia from Ishtar to Levant and Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iran, “biblical times”, Ten Commandments, Temple Mount, Jebusite, Ark of the Covenant, Cella, and the war in Yemen. It’s time for me to quit work and enjoy my TGIF beers and some photography on the way home, but now I can’t leave until I satisfy some more curiosity. Thanks a lot, bro. ;)

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

No shiite.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

They better be careful that they don’t dig her up;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28vpNumcNUo

[captain_dave]

Looks like the western sitting toilet design is ancient, significantly pre-dating the Romans versus the squat toilet used in east Asia.

[bgill]

That’d be too much work for today’s ferals.

[left that other site]

There are places in Jerusalem where you can descend 45 feet under the city and actually see parts of the wall King Hezekiah built to defend Jerusalem.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

It says the latrine was symbolic and never used. Maybe the had a chamber under it and a pot to carry the waste out to keep from stinking up the place.

[Hegemony Cricket]

They should be able to tell if a man or a woman was the last to use it based on the position of the seat...

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[SJackson]

The Destruction of Sennacherib
By Lord Byron (George Gordon)

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.

Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!

And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail:
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.

And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

[ZULU]

Hezekiah succeeded the evil king Manassah who may have been responsible for the removal of the Ark of the Covenant to the Church of St. Mary of Sion in Axum Ethiopia.

[jalisco555]

Speaking of Hezekiah I had the pleasure of traversing his tunnel when I visited Jerusalem in 2014. It was fascinating to see the chisel marks and the way they changed directions when you reach the mid-point. An amazing engineering feat for it’s day and not to be missed if you visit Israel.

[SunkenCiv]

That would be a must if I ever went there.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SJ.