Hezekiah prepares for the rebellion against Assyria by building up the economy of Jerusalem and fortifying the city. He helped to build up the wine, olive and grain industries. They started to collect grain and hoard them in storage centers. One was located in a town south of Jerusalem. The government collected taxes in this manner. Later we learn that the Assyrians adopted Aramic because it was easier to learn and use. With increased usage, constant rules for the language developed. As a later result we see the rise of literature. Written law also gained more authority than the king because of the notion that everyone is subject to it. Rule of law needed to have people trained in writing and the law needed to be authoritative. Leaders from different states began to get involved with literature. The state used propaganda and began writing everything down.
Next we moved on to the top of what is a messiah? By definition it is someone who has been anointed by oil that came from either the High Priest line or the line of the Kings. Many groups have used used biblical references for their leaders as the "Messiah". One such reference are the words of Isaiah. Isaiah 10 is a good example. If used with the context of the text, it heralds the coming of Hezekiah. Another important text that we get from Isaiah is Isaiah 36-39 which brings about the belief that Jerusalem is inviolable and is paralleled in 2 Kings 8-20. According to the text, there is a prophecy that God would protect the city. The city survived the siege by the Assyrians. The people of Jerusalem attributed this back to the promise of David. Meanwhile, the Assyrians gave different reasons for why the city survived. The failure of the siege was written down and passed on to generations. Thus, we get the legend of Jerusalem as an inviolable city. Zion Theology stressed that it was for David's sake.
Lastly, we started to talk about Josiah.
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