Who was the father of King Josiah of Judah?

Amon was the father of King Josiah of Judah. The biblical accounts in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles identify Josiah as Amon’s son and describe him taking the throne after Amon’s assassination.

Amon ruled the southern kingdom of Judah for only two years, commonly dated to about 643/642–641/640 BC. He followed the idolatrous practices associated with his father, Manasseh, and was killed by officials who conspired against him. After the conspirators were put to death, the people of the land made Amon’s eight-year-old son Josiah king.

Josiah later became one of Judah’s most prominent reforming kings. During his 31-year reign, he centralized worship in Jerusalem, removed many foreign cult practices, and sponsored repairs to the Temple. The discovery of a book of religious law during those repairs helped inspire his reforms. Hezekiah was Josiah’s great-grandfather, while Manasseh was his grandfather—common family-tree mix-ups that can make the alternatives seem plausible.