Ἐζεκίας

[Ezekias,] king of Jerusalem↗, son of Ahaz, more pious than all [his predecessors as king]. For not only did he utterly destroy the idols and crush their pillars, but he also took down those on the high [mountains] and cut down the [sacred] groves and destroyed the snake, which Moses had hung up (because everyone still burned incense to it), along with the rest of the abominations, and he punished the idol-worshipping Jews by cutting out the memorials and relics of ungodliness.¹ For they had so far removed themselves from the service of God, that they had painted the idols behind the doors, and bowed down to them, so that, if some people from Hezekiah investigated, when the doors were opened, the abominations would be hidden. And he alone in Judea reigned by God's will. The following is also said. Solomon had a book about the healing of all disease, built in the jamb of the door of the temple. Hezekiah took it out, as the people did not pay attention to God, because those who were ill obtained treatments for themselves from that book and overlooked entreating God [for healing]. He also made war on the foreign tribes as far as Gaza, having revolted from the Assyrians, [whose] subject he had previously been.