Righteous
Righteous Josiah
ок. 648 — †609 до Р.Х.
Righteous Josiah — King of Judah (reigned 640–609 BC), who ascended the throne at age 8 and carried out a sweeping religious reform: the destruction of idols and pagan high places throughout the land, the restoration of the Jerusalem Temple during whose repair the Book of the Law was found, and a solemn nationwide celebration of the Passover; he died at 39 in the battle of Megiddo while trying to block the army of Pharaoh Necho II.
Righteous Josiah, the sixteenth king of Judah, son of King Amon, ascended the throne at age eight (640 BC) and, following the example of King David, sought from his youth to walk in the ways of the Lord. He carried out a sweeping religious reform, destroying the pagan high places, groves, and carved and molten idols throughout the land that had been restored under his impious predecessors.
In the 18th year of his reign, during repairs to the Jerusalem Temple, the Book of the Law of the Lord was found; upon hearing it read, Josiah tore his clothes in contrition and made a covenant before the Lord to keep His commandments unswervingly, leading the whole people to do likewise. He held an exceptionally solemn nationwide celebration of the Passover, contributing 30,000 lambs and 3,000 oxen from his own flocks and herds.
He died at age 39, mortally wounded by arrows at Megiddo, where he had tried to block the path of the Egyptian army of Pharaoh Necho II as it marched through the land of Judah; Josiah's death provoked nationwide mourning, including a special lament by the prophet Jeremiah.
He has no separate individual feast day — he is commemorated together with the other Old Testament righteous ones on the movable Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (the second Sunday before Nativity).
IMPORTANT CORRECTION: the era field was previously blank (null) — it has been set to BC, with the reign (640–609 BC) and life dates (c. 648–609 BC) confirmed across multiple sources.