by Lynn Austin
and in me you will manifest your goodness;
for, unworthy as I am, you will save me according to your great mercy,
and I will praise you continually all the days of my life.
For all the host of heaven sings your praise,
and yours is the glory forever. Amen.
from the Apocryphal book The Prayer of Manasseh (NRSV)
Author’s Note
In 1961, archaeologists uncovered the ruins of a temple on the island of Elephantine in Egypt. Aligned to face Jerusalem, it was identical in size and construction to the Jerusalem Temple and had been built by Jewish priests and Levites fleeing the persecution of King Manasseh’s reign. Records unearthed with it revealed that a full schedule of sacrifices and feast days had been celebrated there. Since no other temple was ever built by exiled priests or Jews, some scholars have concluded that the Ark of the Covenant might have been rescued during the time of Manasseh and housed in Egypt, as well. My novel Among the Gods is based on this premise.
King Hezekiah did have a second son named Amariah. In the book of Zephaniah (1:1), Amariah and his son Gedaliah are listed as the prophet’s ancestors.
