Joshua יְהוֹשׁוּעַ
Governor of Jerusalem during Josiah's reign
Who is Joshua in the Bible?
Joshua was the governor of Jerusalem during the reign of King Josiah in the late 7th century BC. He is mentioned in 2 Kings 23:8 in the context of Josiah's sweeping religious reforms, which aimed to eliminate pagan worship practices throughout Judah and Jerusalem. The high places at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, were among the pagan worship sites that Josiah removed during this period of spiritual renewal. Though Joshua himself is not extensively developed as a biblical character, his mention in this passage serves as a historical marker of Jerusalem's administrative structure and illustrates the scope of Josiah's reforms in purging idolatrous practices from the holy city.
Biography
Joshua is mentioned in 2Ki.23.8 as the governor of Jerusalem during the reign of King Josiah. The context of the passage is Josiah's religious reforms, which took place in the late 7th century BC (2 Kings 22-23). As part of these reforms, Josiah removed pagan worship sites and practices from Judah and Jerusalem. The high places that the kings of Judah had made at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, were among those removed. These high places were likely dedicated to pagan deities and were located near Joshua's official residence or administrative building.
In Scripture
1 biblical book2 Kings 1 verse
- 2 Kings 23:8
"Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which was to the..."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | יְהוֹשׁוּעַ | yĕhwōšûʿa | Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader |