Who Was Hilkiah in the Bible?

Hilkiah was a pivotal figure in one of the most important religious revivals in Judah's history. He served as high priest during the reign of King Josiah, the last righteous king of Judah. In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, the king commissioned repairs to the house of the Lord. As the workmen were restoring the temple, Hilkiah made a momentous discovery: 'I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.' The Book of the Law — likely Deuteronomy or the entire Pentateuch — had been lost and forgotten during the reigns of Manasseh and Amon, who had promoted idolatry. Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan the scribe, who read it to King Josiah. When Josiah heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes in repentance and sent to inquire of the prophetess Huldah. She confirmed that judgment was coming upon Judah because the people had forsaken God and burned incense to other gods. But because Josiah's heart was tender and he humbled himself before God, the disaster would not come in his days. Josiah then launched the most thorough religious reform in Judah's history. He removed idolatrous priests, destroyed the high places, tore down the altars to Baal, and executed the priests who had burned incense to false gods. He reinstituted the Passover, which had not been kept in such a manner since the days of the judges. Hilkiah's discovery changed the course of Judah for a generation. Though the revival could not ultimately avert the judgment that came after Josiah's death, it demonstrated that God's Word, once recovered and heeded, has the power to transform individuals and nations. Hilkiah's name also appears as the father of Jeremiah the prophet, suggesting the prophet came from a priestly family deeply committed to the Word of God.