Uzziah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in a cemetery that belonged to the kings, for people said, “He had leprosy.” And Jotham his son succeeded him as king. – 2 Chronicles 26:23

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 29, 2019): 2 Chronicles 26

The Uzziah Tablet

In 1931, Professor E. I Sukenik of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem made a startling find at a Russian convent on the Mount of Olives. On display with other artifacts from the area was a plaque dated back to the first century C.E. The stone read in Hebrew “Here were brought the bones of Uzziah, King of Judah. Not to be opened.” Where the plaque originated, along with actual bones of Uzziah, were not documented, but someone found the plaque and moved it to this convent, possibly without understanding the importance of the find.

Since the plaque dates to the first century C.E., and not the eighth century B.C.E., we know that the plaque was not connected with the original Tomb of King Uzziah. The tablet might even be a first-century fake. But if it isn’t, then it might tell a fascinating story.

King Uzziah was, for most of his life, a good king. He began his reign at the age of sixteen and reigned over Judah for fifty-two years. But Uzziah did not finish well. According to the biblical record, Uzziah ended his life living as a leper. The Bible connects the leprosy of the king with his decision that he should be able to burn incense to God in the Temple, a task that the Bible clearly assigns only to the priests.

Uzziah contracted leprosy immediately, and for the rest of his life, he lived separated from his family and people. Jotham began his co-reign during this part of Uzziah’s reign and Jotham was the visual ruler while Uzziah was kept behind the scenes. And when Uzziah died, his resting place was also separated from that of the other Kings. He rested “near them,” not “with them.”

At some point, maybe even during the first century, the bones were removed from their grave and taken somewhere else, likely to the place where this plaque was initially found. But the warning hints that it is possible that the people believed that Uzziah’s bones were still contaminated. The King that finished his reign in isolation, was buried in isolation, and his bones were isolated even further. The author of the Uzziah Tablet intended to strike fear into the reader. “Here lies the bones of the Leper King. Do not open [or you just might suffer his fate].”

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Amos 1