Ahaz, son of Jotham, assumed the throne of Judah aged 20 where he reigned for 16 years in a perverse sinful regime. He introduced child sacrifices and even sacrificed one of his own sons! Then King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel besieged Jerusalem but Ahaz managed to resist. So Ahaz sought out an alliance with King Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria to resist the pressure from Syria and Israel, paid him with all the silver and gold of the royal palace and temple, and the alliance was formed. This alliance became totally syncretistic when Ahaz went to Damascus now captured by Syria. He was impressed by a pagan altar there and had it copied to replace the Lord's altar in Judah! Ahaz then offered every sort of sacrifice on this pagan altar in the temple! In deference to the King of Assyria Ahaz told Uriah the priest to make multiple alterations to the temple. Ahaz died leaving Judah in total apostasy and his son Hezekiah succeeded him to throne.
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