In a survey of the kings of Judah, Manasseh, Ahaz and Zedekiah are notable for their wickedness, and their role in bringing about the fall of the kingdom of Judah is well understood. A king less considered in the story of the small kingdom of Judah is Jehoiakim, but a careful look at his life and reign reveals the man to be a true villain. Whilst the fate of Judah and Jerusalem had already been secured by the evil behaviour of Manasseh, Jehoiakim’s political and personal life were also primary causes of the catastrophe that ended the monarchy and brutally hurled the kingdom of Judah into death, desolation and exile.