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From this we learn that there have been many Zachariahs. For the son of Joda, whom Joas killed, was named Zachariah; and this man in the time of Ozias was called Zachariah. And I think this is the one about whom God said to Isaiah: "Make for me faithful witnesses, Uriah the priest, and Zachariah son of Barachias." For Isaiah prophesied at that time; "For the vision," he says, "which Isaiah son of Amos saw, which he saw against Judea and against Jerusalem, in the days of Ozias, and Jotham, and Ahaz, and Hezekiah, who reigned over Judea." He says he was brave in wars, and ambitious in buildings, and a lover of beauty in agriculture. He calls the inhabitants of the city of Petra, Arabs. But he did not listen to his forefather David, who said, "In the end, do not destroy." For using an arrogant spirit, he dared to perform a high priestly act; "For as Ozias grew strong," it says, "his heart was lifted up to 80.848 his destruction, and he acted wickedly against the Lord his God, and he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense." For he did not dare to do this on the altar of burnt offerings, but inside in the temple. But the high priest did not yield to him as king, but rebuked him with boldness. "For," it says, "Zachariah the high priest came in after him, and with him eighty priests, sons of power; and they stood against Ozias the king, and said to him: It is not for you, Ozias, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Go out from the sanctuary, for you have departed from the Lord; and it will not be for your glory from the Lord God." He says that what is fitting for kings, and what is suitable for priests, has been determined by God. The priests have a common privilege. Why do you trample on the God-given law? Why do you transgress the boundaries? Seizing what is not yours, you will also lose what is your own. But not only did he not yield, but he also became angry at their words, and persisted in daring the sacred rite. But instead of glory, he reaped dishonor. "For," it says, "leprosy broke out on his forehead, and in the house of the Lord before the priests, above the altar of incense." And immediately the priests, seeing the plague sent from God, drove him out of the temple against his will; and he suffered the same things as his forefather Adam. For he, desiring to become God, also lost being the image of God; and this one, trying to seize the priesthood, also fell from his kingship. For he sat indoors in a chamber, the leprosy on his forehead preventing his mingling and public appearance among the people. For he bore on his forehead the proof of his transgression. Jotham, his son, continued to govern the kingdom. For he also took up the scepter when his father died. He also excelled in wars, and forced the Ammonites to pay tribute. The writer also gives the reason, "that he prepared his ways before the Lord his God." Ahaz, his son, in the designs of impiety, outdid all his peers. The book of Kings also taught this. This history, in addition to these things, also revealed the calamity which he suffered. For first they were given over to the Syrians; and many were slain, and many were taken captive. Then Pekah, the king of the ten tribes, in one battle killed twelve myriads of them, and the king's sons, and the generals; and he took twenty myriads captive. Oded the prophet, meeting the victors, threatened them with the 80.849 wrath of God, because they were leading into slavery those whom they had taken captive, contrary to the divine law. "For behold," he says, "the wrath of the God of our fathers is upon Judah; and he has delivered them into your hands, and you have slain among them in wrath, and it has reached to the heavens. And now you say that you will subject the sons of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female slaves. Behold, I am not with you, testifies the Lord your God. And now listen to me, and

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Ἐντεῦθεν μαν θάνομεν, ὡς πολλοὶ Ζαχαρίαι γεγένηνται. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ τοῦ Ἰωδαὲ υἱὸς, ὃν Ἰωὰς κατέλυσε, Ζαχαρίας ὠνόμασται· καὶ οὗτος ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ὀζίου Ζαχαρίας κέκλη ται. Οἶμαι δὲ τοῦτον εἶναι, περὶ οὗ πρὸς τὸν Ἡσαΐαν ἔφη Θεός· "Ποίησόν μοι μάρτυρας πιστοὺς ἀν θρώπους, τὸν Οὐρίαν τὸν ἱερέα, καὶ Ζαχαρίαν υἱὸν Βαραχίου." Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἡσαΐας κατ' ἐκεῖνον προεφήτευσε τὸν καιρόν· "Ὅρασις γὰρ, φησὶν, ἣν εἶδεν Ἡσαΐας υἱὸς Ἀμὼς, ἣν εἶδε κατὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίας,καὶ κατὰ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐν ἡμέραις Ὀζίου, καὶ Ἰωάθαμ, καὶ Ἄχαζ, καὶ Ἐζεκίου, οἳ ἐβασίλευσαν τῆς Ἰουδαίας." Λέγει δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν πολέμοις ἀνδρεῖον, καὶ ἐν οἰκοδομαῖς φιλότιμον, καὶ ἐν γεωργίαις φι λόκαλον. Πέτρας δὲ τῆς πόλεως τοὺς οἰκήτορας Ἄραβας ὀνομάζει. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἤκουσε τοῦ προγόνου ∆αβὶδ, λέγοντος, "Εἰς τὸ τέλος μὴ διαφθείρῃς." Ἀλαζονικῷ γὰρ φρονήματι χρησάμενος, ἔργον ἀρ χιερατικὸν ἐπιτελέσαι τετόλμηκεν· "Ὡς γὰρ κατ ίσχυσε, φησὶν, Ὀζίας, ὑψώθη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ τοῦ 80.848 διαφθεῖραι, καὶ ἠδίκησεν ἐν Κυρίῳ Θεῷ αὑτοῦ, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν ναὸν Κυρίου, τοῦ θυμιᾶσαι ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τῶν θυμιαμάτων." Οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῷ βωμῷ τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων τοῦτο δρᾶσαι τετόλμηκεν, ἀλλ' ἔνδον ἐν τῷ ναῷ. Ἀλλ' οὐ παρεχώρησεν ὡς βασιλεῖ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, ἀλλ' ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ διήλεγξεν. "Εἰσῆλθε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ Ζαχαρίας ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ ὀγδοήκοντα ἱερεῖς, υἱοὶ δυνάμεως· καὶ ἐπέστησαν τὸν Ὀζίαν τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ· Οὐ σοὶ, Ὀζία, τοῦ θυμιάσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἀλλ' ἢ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἀαρὼν, τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις τοῦ θυμιάσαι. Ἔξελθε ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγιάσματος, ὅτι ἀπέστης ἀπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου· καὶ οὐκ ἔσται σοι εἰς δόξαν παρὰ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ." ∆ιόρισται, φησὶ, παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι προσήκοντα, καὶ τὰ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἁρμόττοντα. Γενικὸν ἔχουσι τὸ γέρας οἱ ἱερεῖς. Τί πατεῖς τὸν θεόσδοτον νόμον; τί παραβαίνεις τοὺς ὅρους; ἁρπάζων τὰ μὴ προσήκοντα, καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα προσαπολέσεις. Ἀλλ' οὐ μόνον οὐκ εἶξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐχαλέπηνε πρὸς τοὺς λόγους, καὶ ἐπέμεινε τῆς ἱε ρουργίας κατατολμῶν. Ἀλλ' ἀντὶ τῆς δόξης ἀτιμίαν ἐδρέψατο. "Ἀνέτειλε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ λέπρα ἐν τῷ μετώπῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Κυρίου ἐναντίον τῶν ἱερέων, ἐπάνω τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τῶν θυμιαμάτων." Παραυτίκα δὲ οἱ ἱερεῖς τὴν θεήλατον πληγὴν θεασά μενοι, καὶ ἄκοντα αὐτὸν ἐξήλασαν τοῦ νεώ· καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ πέπονθεν Ἀδὰμ τῷ προπάτορι. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ νος ἐπιθυμήσας γενέσθαι Θεὸς, καὶ τὸ εἶναι εἰκὼν Θεοῦ προσαπώλεσεν· καὶ οὗτος πειραθεὶς τὴν ἱερω σύνην ἁρπάσαι, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐξέπεσεν. Ἔνδον γὰρ ἐν θαλάμῳ ἐκάθητο, τῆς ἐν τῷ μετώπῳ λέ πρας τὴν ἐν τῷ πλήθει διατριβὴν καὶ παῤῥησίαν ἀπειργούσης. Ἔφερε γὰρ ἐν τῷ μετώπῳ τῆς παρα νομίας τὸν ἔλεγχον. Ἰωάθαμ δὲ ὁ τούτου παῖς ἰθύνων διετέλει τὴν βασιλείαν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς τελευτήσαντος τὰ σκῆπτρα παρέλαβεν. Ἠρίστευσε δὲ καὶ οὗτος ἐν πολέμοις, καὶ τοὺς Ἀμμανίτας δασμὸν φέρειν ἠνάγκασε. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ὁ συγγραφεὺς, "ὅτι ἡτοίμασε τὰς ὁδοὺς αὑτοῦ ἔναντι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ αὑτοῦ." Ἄχαζ δὲ ὁ τού του παῖς ἐν ταῖς τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐπινοίαις τοὺς ὁμοίους ἀπέκρυψεν ἅπαντας. Τοῦτο καὶ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἡ βίβλος ἐδίδαξεν. Αὕτη δὲ πρὸς τούτοις ἡ ἱστορία καὶ τὴν συμφορὰν ἐδήλωσεν, ἣν ὑπέμεινε. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἐξεδόθησαν Σύροις· καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν ἀνῃρέθη σαν, πολλοὶ δὲ ἐξηνδραποδίσθησαν. Ἔπειτα δὲ Φα κεὲ, τῶν δέκα φυλῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἐν μιᾷ συμπλοκῇ δώδεκα αὐτῶν μυριάδας κατέκτεινε, καὶ τοῦ βασι λέως τοὺς παῖδας, καὶ τοὺς στρατηγούς· εἴκοσι δὲ μυριάδας ἐξηνδραπόδισεν. Ὠδὴδ δὲ ὁ προφήτης τοῖς νενικηκόσιν ὑπαντήσας ἠπείλησε τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν 80.849 ὀργὴν, ὅτι δὴ παρὰ τὸν θεῖον νόμον εἰς δουλείαν ἦγον οὓς ᾐχμαλώτευσαν. "Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἐπὶ Ἰούδαν· καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀπ εκτείνατε ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐν ὀργῇ, καὶ ἕως τῶν οὐρανῶν ἔφθασε. Καὶ νῦν υἱοὺς Ἰούδα καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὑμεῖς λέγετε κατακτήσασθαι εἰς δούλους καὶ δούλας. Ἰδοὺ οὐκ εἰμὶ μεθ' ὑμῶν, μαρτύρεται Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν. Καὶ νῦν ἀκούσατέ μου, καὶ