You’re about to experience a concise description of the reign of Manasseh, king of Judah.
We want to examine the reign of Manasseh in the southern kingdom of Judah. This is an important topic in the WAEC/WASSCE Christian Religious Studies syllabus. It is one of those frequently asked questions based on the Old Testament section of the Senior High School CRS syllabus.
So why did the biblical writers regard Manasseh, king of Judah, as an apostate?
This tutorial will answer for you, once and for all, the below WASSCE CRS popular question:
Describe the reign of Manasseh, the apostate.
Who was Manasseh?
Manasseh was the son and successor of Hezekiah, king of Judah. He became king at the young age of 12.
The biblical writer describes the period of the reign of Manasseh as the darkest in Judah. His religious legacy was so bad and anti-Yahwist in nature that he came to be regarded as Manasseh, the apostate.
Instances of Manasseh’s Apostasy
The reign of Manasseh witnessed the reversal of the religious policies of Hezekiah, his predecessor and father. For example, he introduced the worship of foreign gods into Judah in order to please the new king of Assyria Assarhadion.
SEE ALSO: Describe Joshua’s Sending of the Two Spies
Manasseh went further to rebuild the high places for the worship of foreign gods.
Moreover, he introduced the astral cult of Mesopotamia, the worship of the dead (consultation with spirit of the dead),
He practiced human sacrifice and burnt his son as a form of sacrifice.
During the reign of Manasseh, those who opposed his religious policies were summarily killed.
The End of the Reign of Manasseh
Eventually, he was captured and carried in chains to Nineveh. Later, Manasseh repented, got back his freedom and, thereafter, ruled for a long time.
Summary
Below is a bullet point summary of the reign of Manasseh, the apostate.
- Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah who ruled before him in Judah.
- He was 12 years old when he began to rule
- His days were the darkest in Judah
- He introduced the worship of foreign gods to please Assyria, his overlord.
- Manasseh promoted the worship of stars, spirits and the dead.
- He introduced human sacrifice e.g. he sacrificed his own son
- Manasseh killed those who opposed him
- He was captured and sent to Nineveh, repented later, released and ruled for many years.
Final thoughts
Are you a Christian Religious Studies student or teacher? What other learning and teaching resources would you like us to give you? And what are your thoughts on the reign of Manasseh? You might want to check out the complete WAEC Christian Religious Studies Syllabus. You will also find other WAEC General Arts syllabuses including the History and French syllabuses.
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Ralph Nyadzi is the Director of Studies at Cegast Academy. He is a qualified English tutor with decades of experience behind him. Since 2001, he has successfully coached thousands of High School General Arts WASSCE candidates in English, Literature and related subjects. He combines his expertise with a passion for lifelong learning to guide learners from varying backgrounds to achieve their educational goals. Ralph shares lessons from his blogging journey on BloggingtotheMax. He lives with River, his pet cat, in the Central Region of Ghana.
