Iōsias (Ἰωσίας) is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew Yoshiyahu, meaning "Yahweh heals\” or "Yahweh supports.\” King Josiah of Judah (c. 640–609 BC) was one of Israel's greatest reforming kings — the one who rediscovered the Book of the Law, instituted sweeping spiritual reforms, and postponed divine judgment through covenant renewal. He appears in Matthew 1:10-11 in the genealogy of Jesus.
Josiah's reign is a theological watershed moment: the Book of the Law, long hidden in the Temple, was found during repairs (2 Kings 22). When it was read to Josiah, he tore his robes in repentance — realizing how far the nation had fallen from covenant fidelity. His subsequent reform was comprehensive: destroying high places, removing Asherah poles, reinstating Passover, purifying worship. He is assessed as a king like no other in 2 Kings 23:25: "Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart.\”
Yet Josiah's early death at Megiddo (2 Chronicles 35:24) introduces a painful theological tension — the righteous king dies while the nation's sin ultimately could not be forestalled. His appearance in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:11) places him in the redemptive lineage: the great reformer could not fully save, but he pointed toward the One who would.