Iddo
Encyclopedia
Iddo or Eido was a minor biblical
prophet
, who appears to have lived during the reigns of King Solomon
and his heirs, Rehoboam
and Abijah
, in the Kingdom of Judah
. Though little is known about him, and he appears only in the Books of Chronicles
, Iddo seems to have been rather prolific in his day, with his prophecies concerning the rival King Jeroboam I
of Israel recorded in a lost book of visions (see ). He also composed a history of King Rehoboam, known as the "Words of Shemaiah the Prophet and Iddo the Seer" , and of his son King Abijah . Some, such as Rashi
, identify him with the unidentified "man of God" from I Kings 13:1. Iddo, on account of his prophecies against Jeroboam, has been identified by Josephus
("Ant." viii. 8, § 5) and Jerome
("Quæstiones Hebraicæ," to 2 Chron. 12:15) with the prophet who denounced the altar of Jeroboam and who was afterward killed by a lion (I Kings xiii). Jerome identifies Iddo also with the Oded of II Chron. xv. 8.E.G.
Another Iddo is mentioned in Ezra
8.17 as the chief man at the place Casiphia. Ezra requests assistance from Iddo and his brethren to bring servants for the Temple
. It is this Iddo Ezra refers to when he calls the prophet Zechariah as a 'son of Iddo' in Ezra 5:1 and 6:14. The Book of Zechariah
1:1 and 1:7 however mention Iddo as the paternal grandfather of Zechariah.
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
, who appears to have lived during the reigns of King Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
and his heirs, Rehoboam
Rehoboam
Rehoboam was initially king of the United Monarchy of Israel but after the ten northern tribes of Israel rebelled in 932/931 BC to form the independent Kingdom of Israel he was king of the Kingdom of Judah, or southern kingdom. He was a son of Solomon and a grandson of David...
and Abijah
Abijam
Abijam was the fourth king of the House of David and the second of the Kingdom of Judah. He was the son of Rehoboam, the grandson of Solomon and the great-grandson of David. The Chronicler refers to him as Abijah ....
, in the Kingdom of Judah
Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah was a Jewish state established in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is often referred to as the "Southern Kingdom" to distinguish it from the northern Kingdom of Israel....
. Though little is known about him, and he appears only in the Books of Chronicles
Books of Chronicles
The Books of Chronicles are part of the Hebrew Bible. In the Masoretic Text, it appears as the first or last book of the Ketuvim . Chronicles largely parallels the Davidic narratives in the Books of Samuel and the Books of Kings...
, Iddo seems to have been rather prolific in his day, with his prophecies concerning the rival King Jeroboam I
Jeroboam
Jeroboam was the first king of the northern Israelite Kingdom of Israel after the revolt of the ten northern Israelite tribes against Rehoboam that put an end to the United Monarchy....
of Israel recorded in a lost book of visions (see ). He also composed a history of King Rehoboam, known as the "Words of Shemaiah the Prophet and Iddo the Seer" , and of his son King Abijah . Some, such as Rashi
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
, identify him with the unidentified "man of God" from I Kings 13:1. Iddo, on account of his prophecies against Jeroboam, has been identified by Josephus
Josephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
("Ant." viii. 8, § 5) and Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
("Quæstiones Hebraicæ," to 2 Chron. 12:15) with the prophet who denounced the altar of Jeroboam and who was afterward killed by a lion (I Kings xiii). Jerome identifies Iddo also with the Oded of II Chron. xv. 8.E.G.
Another Iddo is mentioned in Ezra
Book of Ezra
The Book of Ezra is a book of the Hebrew Bible. Originally combined with the Book of Nehemiah in a single book of Ezra-Nehemiah, the two became separated in the early centuries of the Christian era...
8.17 as the chief man at the place Casiphia. Ezra requests assistance from Iddo and his brethren to bring servants for the Temple
Nethinim
Nethinim was the name given to the Temple assistants in ancient Jerusalem. The term was applied originally in the Book of Joshua to the Gibeonites who converted during the time of Joshua, later in the Book of Ezra they include the Avdei Shlomo the descendants of...
. It is this Iddo Ezra refers to when he calls the prophet Zechariah as a 'son of Iddo' in Ezra 5:1 and 6:14. The Book of Zechariah
Book of Zechariah
The Book of Zechariah is the penultimate book of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew and Christian Bible, attributed to the prophet Zechariah.-Historical context:...
1:1 and 1:7 however mention Iddo as the paternal grandfather of Zechariah.
See also
- Jadon
- The Visions of Iddo the SeerVisions of Iddo the SeerThe book called the Visions of Iddo the Seer is a lost text that was probably written by the Biblical Prophet Iddo, who lived at the time of Rehoboam. The book is described at...
- The Iddo GenealogiesIddo GenealogiesThe book called the Iddo Genealogies is one of the Lost books of the Old Testament. It was attributed to the Biblical Prophet Iddo, who is said to have lived at the time of Rehoboam. The book is described at...
- The Story of the Prophet IddoStory of the Prophet IddoThe Story of the Prophet Iddo is a lost text that was probably written by the Biblical Prophet Iddo, who lived at the time of Rehoboam. The book is described at...
- The Acts of SolomonActs of SolomonThe Acts of Solomon is a lost text that may have been written by the Biblical prophet Iddo, who was the author of other lost texts. The book is described in , where it reads: "And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of...