Hezekiah, in the Bible, king of Judah, son and successor of Ahaz. During his reign Sennacherib of Assyria routed (701
B.C.) the rebellious Jews and exacted a high indemnity from them. However, a plague in the Assyrian army saved (690
B.C.) Judah from a second invasion by Sennacherib. Hezekiah's reign was marked by the prophecies of
Isaiah and
Micah and by reforms to purify the religion of Israel by eliminating certain Canaanite practices. The country also experienced great material prosperity. His son and successor was Manasseh. See
Hizkijah.
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