[1] 2 Kings xxiv. 13 seq. gives other numbers and a view of the
disaster which is more suitable for the Second Captivity. (See
ZEDEKIAH.)
JEHOIAKIM (Heb. "Yah[weh] raiseth up"), in the Bible, son of Josiah
(q.v.) and king of Judah (2 Kings xxiii. 34-xxiv. 6). On the defeat of
Josiah at Megiddo his younger brother Jehoahaz (or Shallum) was chosen
by the Judaeans, but the Egyptian conquerer Necho summoned him to his
headquarters at Riblah (south of Hamath on the Orontes) and removed him
to Egypt, appointing in his stead Eliakim, whose name ("El [God] raiseth
up") was changed to its better-known synonym, Jehoiakim. For a time
Jehoiakim remained under the protection of Necho and paid heavy tribute;
but with the rise of the new Chaldean Empire under Nebuchadrezzar II.,
and the overthrow of Egypt at the battle of Carchemish (605 B.C.) a
vital change occurred. After three years of allegiance the king
revolted. Invasions followed by Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites and
Ammonites, perhaps the advance troops despatched by the Babylonian
king; the power of Egypt was broken and the whole land came into the
hands of Nebuchadrezzar. It was at the close of Jehoiakim's reign,
apparently just before his death, that the enemy appeared at the gates
of Jerusalem, and although he himself "slept with his fathers" his young
son was destined to see the first captivity of the land of Judah (597
B.C.). (See JEHOIACHIN.)
Which "three years" (2 Kings xxiv. 1) are intended is disputed; it is
uncertain whether Judah suffered in 605 B.C. (Berossus in Jos. _c.
Ap._ i. 19) or was left unharmed (Jos. _Ant._ x. 6. 1); perhaps
Nebuchadrezzar made his first inroad against Judah in 602 B.C. because
of its intrigue with Egypt (H. Winckler, _Keilinschrift. u. d. alte
Test._, pp. 107 seq.), and the three years of allegiance extends to
599. The chronicler's tradition (2 Chron. xxxvi. 5-8) speaks of
Jehoiakim's captivity, apparently confusing him with Jehoiachin. The
Septuagint, however, still preserves there the record of his peaceful
death, in agreement with the earlier source in 2 Kings, but against
the prophecy of Jeremiah (xxii. 18 seq., xxxvi. 30), which is accepted
by Jos. _Ant._ x. 6. 3. The different traditions can scarcely be
reconciled. Nothing certain is known of the marauding bands sent
against Jehoiakim; for Syrians (_Aram_) one would expect Edomites
(_Edom_), but see Jer. xxxv. 11; some recensions of the Septuagint
even include the "Samaritans"! (For further references to this reign
see especially JEREMIAH; see also JEWS: _History_, § 17.)
(S. A. C.)
JEHOL ("hot stream"), or CH'ENG-TE-FU, a city of China, formerly the
seat of the emperor's summer palace, near 118° E. and 41° N., about 140
m. N.E. of Peking, with which it is connected by an excellent road. Pop.
(estimate), 10,000. It is a flourishing town, and consists of one great
street, about 2 m. long, with smaller streets radiating in all
directions. The people are well-to-do and there are some fine shops. The
palace, called Pi-shu-shan-chuang, or "mountain lodge for avoiding
heat," was built in 1703 on the plan of the palace of Yuen-ming-yuen
near Peking. A substantial brick wall 6 m. in circuit encloses several
well-wooded heights and extensive gardens, rockeries, pavilions,
temples, &c. Jehol was visited by Lord Macartney on his celebrated
mission to the emperor K'ienlung in 1793; and it was to Jehol that the
emperor Hienfeng retired when the allied armies of England and France
occupied Peking in 1860. In the vicinity of Jehol are numerous Lama
monasteries and temples, the most remarkable being Potala-su, built on
the model of the palace of the grand lama of Tibet at Potala.
JEHORAM, or JORAM (Heb. "Yah[weh] is high"), the name of two Biblical
characters.
1. The son of Ahab, and king of Israel in succession to his brother
Ahaziah.[1] He maintained close relations with Judah, whose king came to
his assistance against Moab which had revolted after Ahab's death (2
Kings i. 1; iii.). The king in question is said to have been
Jehoshaphat; but, according to Lucian's recension, it was Ahaziah,
whilst i. 17 would show that it was Jehoram's namesake (see 2). The
result of the campaign appears to have been a defeat for Israel (see on
the incidents EDOM, ELISHA, MOAB). The prophetical party were throughout
hostile to Jehoram (with his reform iii. 2 contrast x. 27), and the
singular account of the war of Benhadad king of Syria against the king
of Israel (vi. 24-vii.) shows the feeling against the reigning dynasty.
But whether the incidents in which Elisha and the unnamed king of Israel
appear originally belonged to the time of Jehoram is very doubtful, and
in view of the part which Elisha took in securing the accession of Jehu,
it has been urged with much force that they belong to the dynasty of the
latter, when the high position of the prophet would be perfectly
natural.[2] The briefest account is given of Jehoram's alliance with
Ahaziah (son of 2 below) against Hazael of Syria, at Ramoth-Gilead (2
Kings viii. 25-29), and the incident--with the wounding of the Israelite
king in or about the critical year 842 B.C.--finds a noteworthy parallel
in the time of Jehoshaphat and Ahab (1 Kings xxii. 29-36) at the period
of the equally momentous events in 854 (see AHAB). See further JEHU.
2. The son of Jehoshaphat and king of Judah. He married Athaliah the
daughter of Ahab, and thus was brother-in-law of 1. above, and
contemporary with him (2 Kings i. 17). In his days Edom revolted, and
this with the mention of Libnah's revolt (2 Kings viii. 20 sqq.)
suggests some common action on the part of Philistines and Edomites. The
chronicler's account of his life (2 Chron. xxi-xxii. 1) presupposes
this, but adds many remarkable details: he began his reign by massacring
his brethren (cf. Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, and his bloodshed, 2 Kings
ix. seq.); for his wickedness he received a communication from Elijah
foretelling his death from disease (cf. Elijah and Ahaziah of Israel, 2
Kings i.); in a great invasion of Philistines and Arabian tribes he lost
all his possessions and family, and only Jehoahaz (i.e. Ahaziah) was
saved.[3] His son Ahaziah reigned only for a year (cf. his namesake of
Israel); he is condemned for his Israelite sympathies, and met his end
in the general butchery which attended the accession of Jehu (2 Kings
viii. 25 sqq.; 2 Chron. xxii. 3 seq., 7; with 2 Kings ix. 27 seq., note
the variant tradition in 2 Chron. xxii. 8 seq., and the details which
the LXX. (Lucian) appends to 2 Kings x.). (S. A. C.)