Uzziah
King Uzziah, also known as Azariah, lived in the days of Isaiah, approximately 750 BC. Jesus Christ traces his genealogy back to this king in the Gospel of Matthew.
Biblical Record
King Uzziah's reign was one of the most prosperous, and is compared to Solomon and Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 26:8, 14. At the beginning of his reign, he faithfully worshipped Yahweh (2 Kings 15:3).
However, toward the end of his reign, he invaded the temple and offered incense on the altar, against the advice of Azariah, who rebuked the king, saying in 2 Chronicles 26:17, "It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense." Uzziah was then inflicted with tzaraath, also known as leprosy.
He was buried in a kingly grave.
Uzziah Tablet
In 1931 an archeological find, now known as the Uzziah Tablet, was discovered by Professor E.I. Sukenik of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He came across the artifact in a Russian convent collection from the Mount of Olives. The origin of the tablet previous to this remains unknown and was not documented by the convent. The inscription on the tablet are written in ancient Hebrew language with an Aramaic language style. This style is dated to around AD 30-70, around 700 years after the supposed death of Uzziah of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Nevertheless the inscription is translated, "The bones of Uzziah, king of Judah, rest here...do not open!" It is open to debate whether this really is the tomb of King Uzziah or simply a later creation. Many seem to claim that it was a later reburial of Uzziah after the Second Temple Period.
This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.
Other Uzziah
Another Uzziah was the father of Jehonathan, one of David's overseers (1 Chronicles 27:25).
