Josiah became Judah’s king at just eight years of age after his father, King Amon, was assassinated. Josiah would become one of Judah’s more godly kings. This was a remarkable accomplishment considering that his father and grandfather, King Manasseh, were two of the country’s most ungodly rulers.

He obviously had a regent during his early years, but at the age of 18, Josiah began his godly reforms. He ordered the Temple to be repaired and cleansed of its pagan gods. He also returned the ark of the Covenant to the Temple’s Holy of Holies.

It was also during this renovation that the High Priest discovered a copy of the Law of the Lord. This led Josiah to call the nation to repentance (2 Kings 23:3).

Josiah ruled from approximately 640 AD to 609 AD and died during a battle with the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II.

Recently archaeologists announced they have found evidence of this clash while working at the site of the ancient city of Megiddo, where the battle took place, Fox News reports.

This evidence involved the discovery of Egyptian pottery. But what caught the attention of archaeologists was not only the quantity of the pottery but also its quality.

Ben-Gurion University lecturer Dr. Assaf Kleiman noted that the “crude production technique, functional mixture, and the lack of similar evidence in nearby settlements” suggests these items were brought there by the Egyptian army.

Because of the low quality, this was not the type of pottery produced for trading with other countries. It was the kind used by the military, functional but not extravagant.

Along with that was the variety of pots discovered. This included “fragments of serving bowls, cooking pots, and storage jars.” These were exactly the type of pots an army would need.

Archaeologists also dated the pottery to the 7th century, which fits into the battle’s time frame. Along with that they also found Grecian pottery. According to the Assyrian records, this Egyptian army, which also attacked Assyria, had Grecian mercenaries.

Did Josiah Disobey God by Attacking Pharaoh Necho?

Though Josiah was a godly king, the Bible provides a interesting take on the battle that led to his death. Pharaoh Necho was not actually invading Judah, he was on his way to attack another country, when Josiah sent out his army.

Necho actually warned Josiah that he was on a mission from God.

“What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war,” Necho asked Josiah through envoys. The Pharaoh then warned “God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” (2 Chronicles 35:21 ESV).

The word for God that Necho used in this message is Elohim, which is the same Hebrew word used for Jehovah.

But Josiah ignored the warning and continued to attack. The writer of Chronicles adds that Josiah “did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God (Elohim), but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo” (2 Chronicles 35:22). Josiah was killed in this battle after being hit by an arrow.

The Chronicler implied that Necho’s words were prophetic. He was on an assignment from God and Josiah put himself in danger by trying to interfere.

The Battle of Armageddon

The city of Megiddo also has apocalyptic overtones. According to the Apostle John’s vision of the end times, the final battle between God and evil (Revelation 16:12–16) will take place at this location.

Though there is no mention of Megiddo in this passage, the name Armageddon, plays off of the Greek word Har-Magedone, which means “hill of Megiddo.”

This final battle takes place when the satanic realm stirs up several nations to attack Israel. This end of the age battle will result in the ultimate defeat of evil.

On a related note, the Apostle John also mentioned in the lead up to this end times’ battle that the Euphrates river will dry up. There are already warnings that this is happening with many reporting that the river’s water levels are hitting historic lows.