Why Asa was not Deemed Good Enough. A Decolonial Reading of 2 Chronicles 14-16

Abstract

The story world of Asa in 2 Chronicles 14-16 depicts a king who was a great leader for the major part of his reign: a warrior, a religious reformer, a building contractor and an organizer. Yet, with old age setting in, he revealed serious flaws in his character: he showed lesser faith in Yahweh and more faith in human institutions. The Chronicler finds him blameworthy and portrays the end of his life as his just desert. The Chronicler’s construction of his story (with those of the kings after David) alludes to the opposite roles attributed to Cyrus and Nabonidus in the Cyrus Cylinder. The author will argue a case to read Chronicles as a colonial text constructed to colonize the public transcript provided by texts such as the Cyrus Cylinder. This paper will provide a decolonial reflection on the text by inquiring into the changes the Chronicler brings to Asa’s story and comparing them to the portrayal of Cyrus in the Cyrus Cylinder.