IOSAPHAT. - King of Judah (873-849 B.C.), the fourth after the schism. Asa (v.), he ascended the throne at the age of 35 and reigned for 25 years in Jerusalem, three of them jointly with his aged father and the remainder alone. In the Bible he is presented as a pious and fervent Jahwist, a valiant sovereign and an excellent statesman, although not always fortunate in his undertakings. His deeds are recounted in I Reg. 22, II Reg. 3, and more extensively in II Par. 17-20. Following the finest examples of his father, he promoted the worship of Jahweh with fervent zeal, rooting out the abuses and superstitions that had been introduced under his predecessors. He effectively advanced the people’s religious instruction, and in the third year of his reign, that is, when he began to reign alone, he established a college of catechists, a kind of itinerant mission (composed of two priests, seven Levites, and five laymen), whose task was to instruct the people, the Book of the Law in hand, in all the cities of Judah (II Par. 17, 7-9). He himself travelled throughout the country from Bersabea to the mountains of Ephraim, to call the people back to a more fervent practice of religion (II Par. 19, 4). He removed from the country the qēdhēlim, or protégés (idolatrous priests devoted to infamous rites), who had infested the land from ancient times and whom his father Asa had not succeeded in removing entirely (II Reg. 22, 47). He also endeavoured to remove “the altars of the high places,” scattered here and there throughout the kingdom and tolerated before the construction of the Temple, and “the sacred poles,” objects of idolatrous worship in honour of the Canaanite goddess 'Ašērāh or Astarte; but he did not succeed completely, at least as regards the so-called high places or bāmōh (II Reg. 22, 44 and II Par. 20, 33: there the people continued to sacrifice and burn incense). This, however, does not diminish the merit of the pious king.
Moreover, I. established governors and prefects in the principal cities (II Par. 17, 2) and improved the judicial system, laying down wise regulations for the administration of justice and creating, in addition to the minor courts in the individual cities, two higher courts in Jerusalem: one for religious cases, under the authority of the high priest Amaria, and the other for civil cases, headed by Zabadia son of Ismahel, one of the kingdom’s leading men (II Par. 19, 4-11). As a reward for such zeal, the Lord granted prosperity and stability to his kingdom (ibid. 17, 5) and won for him the respect of the neighbouring nations; indeed, some Philistine cities and Arab tribes paid him tribute (II Par. 17, 10 sqq.).
I. also found himself in an advantageous position in relation to the kingdom of Ephraim (ibid. 17, 1), at least during the early years. He imposed his authority on the Edomites through a governor appointed by him (I Reg. 22, 48), although only for a short time. He built fortified centres throughout the country; he also conceived the idea, following the example already set by Solomon, of fitting out an expedition of “ships of Taršīš” (that is, oceangoing ships) to load gold at Ophir. The undertaking failed, however, because the ships were wrecked at Ašon-Gaber (II Reg. 22, 29). I. made peace and friendship with Achab, king of Israel, sealing it through Ioram (v.) to Athalia, daughter of Achab: a grave error, for which he was Iehu (v.), son of Hanani (II Par. 19, 2; cf. 20, 37). This friendship not only brought the king of Judah into a gradually inferior position in relation to the king of Israel, but, worse still, exposed his kingdom and his family to the pernicious influences of Achab’s house, as became evident during the reign of his son Ioram and even more under the despotic tyranny of Athalia (cf. II Reg. 8, 16 sqq.; 11). Together with King Achab, and against the warning of the prophet Michea son of Iemla, he took part in the war to reconquer Ramoth of Galaad: Achab lost his life there, and I. was able to return safely to Jerusalem only through heavenly assistance (II Par. 18-19, 3). He was also at the side of the king of Israel in the expedition against the king of the Moabites, Mesa (II Reg. 3); but the undertaking ended in a retreat (v. IORAM). I. was more fortunate when he acted alone: II Par. 20 relates a great victory won against the Ammonites, who, together with certain Arab and Idumean tribes (called Maonites, after Maon, on the borders of Edom), perhaps encouraged by the revolt of the Moabites, had invaded the territory of Judah. On this occasion the faith of the pious king and the power of divine assistance shone forth. On the whole, I. was one of the best kings of Judah, and his reign, with few exceptions, was among the most prosperous and happy.