# Azariah and Jotham rule Judah amid northern upheaval

Divided Kingdom · Draft · BSB

Content revision: e13b2e6bc0c0679b · No editorial review date recorded

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Date: Judah · Azariah/Uzziah and Jotham · Overlapping Israel’s last dynasties

Azariah, also called Uzziah, rules Judah for a long reign but lives apart after being struck with a skin disease; Jotham administers the palace and governs the people. Jotham later becomes king. Both receive qualified approval, while the high places remain.

These southern reign summaries overlap the northern coups that follow on the timeline. Kings does not explain the cause of Azariah’s disease here; Chronicles supplies a separate account of his intrusion into priestly work. Jotham’s earlier administration and later kingship should not be flattened into a simple sequence of non-overlapping years.

## Primary Scripture

[2 Kings 15:1–7 (BSB)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2015%3A1%E2%80%937&version=BSB)

15:1 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah became king of Judah.

15:2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.

15:3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.

15:4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.

15:5 And the LORD afflicted the king with leprosy until the day he died, so that he lived in a separate house while his son Jotham had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

15:6 As for the rest of the acts of Azariah, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

15:7 And Azariah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in the City of David. And his son Jotham reigned in his place.

[2 Kings 15:32–38 (BSB)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2015%3A32%E2%80%9338&version=BSB)

15:32 In the second year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah over Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah.

15:33 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.

15:34 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.

15:35 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD.

15:36 As for the rest of the acts of Jotham, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

15:37 (In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.)

15:38 And Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David his father. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place.

## Related Scripture

[2 Chronicles 26:16–23 · parallel](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2026%3A16%E2%80%9323&version=BSB)

Chronicles explains Uzziah’s disease in connection with his attempt to burn incense; Kings gives the shorter notice.

## Location evidence

Jerusalem marks the royal and temple setting. Azariah’s separate residence is not precisely located.

Event map marker: Identified site; \[longitude, latitude\] = \[35.234167, 31.776667\]. This is a teaching marker, not an exact event venue.

Jerusalem: Identified site. Coordinates \[longitude, latitude\]: \[35.234167, 31.776667\]. Classification source: editorial.

[OpenBible.info: Jerusalem (CC BY 4.0)](https://www.openbible.info/geo/ancient/a15257a/jerusalem)

[OpenBible.info: Jerusalem (CC BY 4.0)](https://www.openbible.info/geo/ancient/a15257a/jerusalem)

## For the class

What can a short reign summary tell us, and what questions does it leave open?

## Interpretation and reuse

Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.

Record source: editorial (content/authored/divided-kingdom.json)

Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.

Teaching stops, summaries and regional extents are original editorial content of this atlas.

Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm

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