Shaphan
Divided Kingdom
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H8227B
Shaphan, the scribe, played a significant role in the religious reforms of King Josiah and the events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians.
Shaphan the scribe served as secretary of state under King Josiah and played a pivotal role in the religious reform of 621 BC by reading aloud the newly discovered Book of the Law to the king, whose response of repentance initiated Judah's most thoroughgoing reform (2 Kings 22:3–14). His family became prominent supporters of the prophet Jeremiah, with his son Ahikam protecting Jeremiah from death (Jeremiah 26:24) and his grandson Gedaliah serving as governor after Jerusalem's fall.