14.
“In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel” (2 Kings xvii, 1).
From the death of Ahaziah to the accession of Hoshea the reigns of Israel’s kings were: Jehoram 12 years, Jehu 28 years, Jehoahaz 17 years, Joash 16 years, Jeroboam 41 years, Zachariah and Shallum 1 year, Menahem 10 years, Pekahiah 2 years, Pekah 20 years. 12 years + 28 years + 17 years + 16 years + 41 years + 1 year + 10 years + 2 years + 20 years = 147 years.
From the death of Jehoshaphat to the accession of Hoshea the reigns of Judah’s kings were: Joram 8 years, Ahaziah 1 year, Athaliah 6 years, Joash 40 years, Amaziah 29 years, Azariah 52 years, Jotham 16 years, Ahaz 12 years. 8 years + 1 year + 6 years + 40 years + 29 years + 52 years + 16 years + 12 years = 164 years.
If from the death of Ahaziah to the accession of Hoshea was one hundred and forty-seven years, and from the death of Jehoshaphat to the accession of Hoshea was one hundred and sixty-four years, Jehoshaphat therefore died seventeen years before Ahaziah died.
15.
“And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it” (2 Kings xviii, 9).
From the death of Ahaziah to the commencement of the siege of Samaria the reigns of Israel’s kings were: Jehoram 12 years, Jehu 28 years, Jehoahaz 17 years, Joash 16 years, Jeroboam 41 years, Zachariah and Shallum 1 year, Menahem 10 years, Pekahiah 2 years, Pekah 20 years, Hoshea 7 years. 12 years + 28 years + 17 years + 16 years + 41 years + 1 year + 10 years + 2 years + 20 years + 7 years = 154 years.