Person Old and New Testament
Josiah
Also known as Josiah =ESV, NIV; Josias =KJV
Josiah was a king of Judah who instituted significant religious reforms and repaired the temple. Mentioned in 49 verses across 7 books, first at 1 Kings 13:2.
Why it matters. King of Judah known for his religious reforms
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Josiah
Josiah was a king of Judah who reigned from approximately 640 to 609 BC. He was the son of Amon and the grandson of Manasseh (2Ki.21.24, 26; 1Ch.3.14). Josiah became king at the age of eight and reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem (2Ki.22.1; 2Ch.34.1).
Josiah is best known for his religious reforms and his commitment to following the Law of the Lord. In the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah initiated repairs to the temple (2Ki.22.3-7; 2Ch.34.8-13). During these repairs, the Book of the Law was discovered (2Ki.22.8-13; 2Ch.34.14-21). Upon hearing the words of the Law, Josiah tore his clothes in repentance and sought the guidance of the prophetess Huldah (2Ki.22.11-20; 2Ch.34.22-28).
Josiah then led a comprehensive religious reform, removing pagan worship sites, idols, and practices from Judah and Jerusalem (2Ki.23.1-25; 2Ch.34.29-35:19). He renewed the covenant between the people and God and celebrated the Passover with great dedication (2Ki.23.21-23; 2Ch.35.1-19).
Josiah's reign and reforms were praised by the prophets, including Jeremiah and Zephaniah (Jer.1.2; 3.6; 22.11, 18; 25.1, 3; 26.1; 35.1; 36.1-2, 9; Zep.1.1). However, Josiah's life came to a tragic end when he confronted Pharaoh Necho of Egypt at Megiddo and was killed in battle (2Ki.23.29-30; 2Ch.35.20-27). He was succeeded by his son Jehoahaz (2Ki.23.30; 2Ch.36.1).
Despite the reforms Josiah implemented, Judah's unfaithfulness persisted, and the nation ultimately faced the Babylonian exile (2Ki.23.26-27; Jer.25.1-14). Nonetheless, Josiah is remembered as a righteous king who sought to turn the nation back to God.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 49 verses across 7 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.