Nathan-melech
Divided Kingdom
>
·
H5419
Nathan-melech was a court official who had living quarters near the entrance of the temple during King Josiah's reign.
Nathan-melech was a royal official who held a chamber at the entrance of the Jerusalem temple complex near the horses dedicated to the sun—cult objects that King Josiah abolished during his sweeping religious reforms (2 Kings 23:11). Josiah removed the horses and burned the sun-chariots as part of his purge of foreign cults from the temple precincts. Nathan-melech's name, meaning 'the king has given,' suggests he held royal favor, and his proximity to the temple indicates a role connected to the royal-cultic establishment.