What historical evidence supports the genealogy listed in Matthew 1:10? Text of Matthew 1:10 “Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah.” Canonical Cross-Checks 1 Chronicles 3:10-14 and 2 Kings 18-23 list the same four successive kings in the identical order and relationship, providing an internal Old Testament corroboration written centuries before Matthew. No competing biblical genealogy gives an alternative sequence. Synchronisms with Assyrian and Babylonian Records • Hezekiah. The Annals of Sennacherib (Taylor Prism, c. 691 BC) speak of “Hezekiah of Judah” who refused tribute—exactly the event in 2 Kings 18:7. The convergence places Hezekiah on the throne of Judah in 701 BC, harmonizing with Usshur-style chronologies (reign 715–686 BC). • Manasseh. The Esarhaddon Prism (681–669 BC) and Ashurbanipal Cylinder (668–627 BC) list “Minasi-ʾ sar mat Ya-udi” (Manasseh king of Judah) among vassal kings who supplied labor to Nineveh, confirming the succession after Hezekiah. • Amon. While no royal inscription names him, Babylonian Chronicle B (BM 21901) notes unrest in Judah during the mid-640s BC—matching Amon’s brief, turbulent two-year reign (2 Kings 21:19-23). • Josiah. The Babylonian Chronicle C (BM 21946) records Pharaoh Necho II’s 609 BC campaign to Carchemish—the very march during which Josiah was killed at Megiddo (2 Kings 23:29). Herodotus (Histories 2.159) affirms Necho’s westward expedition the same year. Archaeological Witnesses: Seals, Bullae, and Excavations • Bulla of Hezekiah. Excavated in 2015 in the Ophel, bearing “Belonging to Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah,” giving royal name, patronymic, and title as in 2 Kings 18:1. • Bullae of “Manasseh Son of the King.” Finds from Lachish Level III (stratum dated to late 7th c. BC) include seal impressions reading “L’MLK” and the personal name MNŠH; paleography fits Manasseh’s era. • LMLK storage jar handles from Hezekiah’s reign continue in Manasseh layers, displaying uninterrupted administrative structures between father and son. • Stamped jar handles inscribed “Ownership of the king” from the Amon/Josiah horizon (Ramat Rahel and Lachish Level II) show stylistic evolution but administrative continuity. • Megiddo Stratum III destruction layer matches 609 BC, the battle site of Josiah’s death, validating biblical narrative context for the last name in Matthew 1:10. Jewish Genealogical Preservation During the Second Temple period, genealogical archives were kept in the Temple (Josephus, Against Apion 1.30-36). Matthew’s audience could verify royal lines; no ancient critic challenged his Hezekiah→Manasseh→Amon→Josiah sequence. The rabbinic Seder Olam Rabbah (2nd c. AD) carries the same succession with consistent reign lengths. Intertestamental and Early Christian Witnesses • Sirach 49:4 lists Manasseh’s apostasy sandwiched between references to Hezekiah and Josiah, mirroring Matthew’s order. • The Jerusalem Talmud (Taʿanith 66a) mentions “Amon son of Manasseh” without hesitation, indicating uncontested lineage in Jewish memory. • Early Christian writers (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History I.7) quote Matthew’s genealogy unopposed when disputing with pagan critics, suggesting public record acceptance. Chronological Coherence Counting regnal years as given in Kings/Chronicles and aligned with Assyrian/Babylonian dates yields: • Hezekiah (29 yrs) 715–686 • Manasseh (55 yrs) 696–642 (co-regency explains overlap) • Amon (2 yrs) 642–640 • Josiah (31 yrs) 640–609 The seamless transition, corroborated by external inscriptions, forms an unbroken chain over 106 years—exactly the span required by Matthew’s genealogy and by Usshur’s chronology. Theological Significance Matthew’s purpose is to demonstrate Jesus as rightful Davidic heir. The historically verified kings in verse 10 anchor the legal line at a period of intense external documentation, reinforcing the legitimacy of the Messiah’s claim and underscoring God’s providential preservation of the royal seed despite national turmoil. Summary Epigraphic artifacts (bullae, jar handles), Assyrian and Babylonian annals, classical historians, rabbinic records, and internally consistent biblical data converge to authenticate the sequence Hezekiah → Manasseh → Amon → Josiah. The evidence upholds Matthew 1:10 as sober history, demonstrating the coherence, reliability, and divine orchestration of the redemptive lineage culminating in Christ. |
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