No other figure in Tanach has nearly as many surviving and discovered artifacts as Chizkiyahu HaMelech. The tunnels he dug to divert the waters of the Gichon to flow within the city of Jerusalem have survived intact and are visited by many thousands each year. The inscription at the midway point of the tunnel has been discovered (and is now on display at a museum in Istanbul).
His bulla (royal seal) and the seal of many of his top advisers have been discovered. There is concrete evidence of his campaign to destroy the Bamot. An ancient Assyrian artist’s (commissioned by Sancheirev) depiction of the Assyrian conquest of Lachish is preserved (and now displayed at the British Museum in London). The wide wall he built to protect Yerushalayim from the Assyrian invasion remains in part and is readily viewed by visitors to the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. Chizkiyahu’s name features prominently in the Sennacherib Prism, which has also survived and is on display at a museum in Chicago. In Lachish there is also evidence of broken Bamot from Chizkiyahu’s time period. There are squared-off altars there with all of their corners smashed off, unfit for any korban to be brought upon them.
Just this past week it was announced that a military lookout tower from the time of Chizkiyahu was found, adding to an already impressive trove of great finding from this great king’s reign.
One could argue that the discovery of so many artifacts relevant to Chizkiyahu HaMelech is just a random phenomenon, especially since precious little from the ancient world has survived, and precious little of what has survived has been excavated. Moreover, the discoveries of some major finds, such as the celebrated Tel Dan Stele, have been serendipitous events.
Believing Jews, however, do not believe in coincidences. Might there be a spiritual message to this unusual phenomenon? We suggest that these discoveries are a result of Chizkiyahu HaMelech’s destruction of the nachash hanechoshet (Melachim II 18), the copper snake built by Moshe Rabbeinu at the behest of Hashem (Bamidbar 21).
Chizkiyahu is never criticized within Tanach for destroying the nachash hanechoshet. The Mishnah (Pesachim 4:9) records that the chachamim of the time extended their hearty approval of Chizkiyahu’s bold action. Chazal (Chullin 7a) express their strong approval as well. Sefer Melachim explains that over time, the nachash hanechoshet degenerates into a shrine for avoda zarah. Thus, Chizkiyahu deems it necessary to grind up this priceless relic in his campaign to rid the Southern Kingdom of avoda zara.
Hashem’s signature “fingerprint” is “middah k’neged middah,” rewarding and punishing in a commensurate manner with the deed. I suggest that Hashem has rewarded Chizkiyahu for his bold and probably contemporaneously unpopular at the time move in his zeal to uphold the Torah. Since Chizkiyahu eliminates an incredibly important artifact at the right time for the right reason, Hashem preserves many artifacts relating to Chizkiyahu for future generations.
Chizkiyahu HaMelech has emerged in our generation as almost tangible. We can see and sometimes even touch the remains of his impactful reign. We believe that this is by Hashem’s design as a very special reward to Chizkiyahu for a very special action.
Time will tell if Chizkiyahu will continue to stand out as one whose relics have been preserved more than any other Biblical personality. Tell will also tell if our theory will be regarded as a viable one by shlomei emunei Yisrael, the faithful of Israel.
By Rabbi Haim Jachter
Rabbi Haim Jachter is the spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck. He also serves as a rebbe at Torah Academy of Bergen County and a dayan on the Beth Din of Elizabeth.
