Josiah killed at Megiddo
2 Kings 23:28–37; 2 Chronicles 35:20–36:4
Josiah went out to stop Pharaoh Neco at Megiddo and was killed; Neco deposed his son Jehoahaz after three months and made Jehoiakim king.
In his days Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him, but Pharaoh Necoh killed him at Megiddo when he saw him.
2 Kings 23:29 (World English Bible)
Neco was marching north to help Assyria against Babylon and warned Josiah not to interfere, but Josiah disguised himself and fought anyway. All Judah mourned him, and Jeremiah wrote laments for him (2 Chronicles 35:25).
With Josiah gone, Judah slid quickly back into idolatry. Jeremiah preached at the temple gate that trusting in the temple building would not save them (Jeremiah 7; 26).
Places
JerusalemEgyptAssyriaEuphratesHamathMegiddoRiblahCarchemish
Ancient witnesses outside the Bible
Historical sources, not Scripture.
- 1 Esdras 1:25–33 — as 1 Esdras retells it
Dating notes
Ussher, 610 BC; conventional dating gives 609 BC.