king of Judah, the son of Jotham, remarkable for his vices and impieties. One of his sons he consecrated, by making him pass through and perish by the fire, in honour of the false god Moloch; and he offered sacrifices and incense upon the high places, upon hills, and in groves. Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel invaded Judea in the beginning of the reign of Ahaz; and having defeated his army and pillaged the country, they laid siege to Jerusalem. When they found that they could not make themselves masters of that city, they divided their army, plundered the country, and made the inhabitants prisoners of war. Rezin and his part of the confederate army marched with all their spoil to Damascus; but Pekah with his division of the army having attacked Ahaz, killed 120,000 men of his army in one battle, and carried away men, women, and children, without distinction, to the number of 200,000. But as they were carrying those captives to Samaria, the prophet Oded, with the principal inhabitants of the city,