HOSHEA: Nineteenth and last king of Israel. He was the son of Elah, was a usurper, and succeeded Pekah, whom he slew. His dates, according to the old chronology, were 731-722 B.C., according to modern historians, 734-722, the last three years of which were passed in captivity. The newer dating is due especially to an inscription of Tiglath-pileser III. of Assyria (Schrader, KB, ii. 32-33), recounting an expedition for the help of Ahaz pf Judah against Rezin of Damascus and Pekah of Israel. According to the pronouncement of the Book of Kings, Hoshea was a better king than most of his predecessors on the throne of Israel. He remained a vassal of the Assyrians under Tiglath-pileser until induced by an Egyptian monarch, So (Assyr. Sib's), to renounce his allegiance. Though II Kings xvii. 3, 5 implies that Shalmaneser made two expeditions against Hoshea, it seems assured that he made only one to the ^ Westland," and that in order to punish Hoshea for his disloyalty to his suzerain. When Shalmaneser made this expedition, in 725 B.C., Hoehea seems to have thrown himself upon the mercy of his overlord, but what finally became of him is not determinable. His kingdom was overrun by the Assyrian army, but the city of Samaria held out for three years and was taken by Sargon after he had succeeded Shalmaneser upon the throne (see Assyria, VI., 3, §§ 11-12).

W. Lotz.

Bibliography: The most important literature is given under Ahab, q.v.; consult also A. H. Sayce, Hipker Criticism and the Monuments, London, 1894; L. B. Paton, The Early Hist. of Syria and Palestine, New York, 1901; Schrader, KAY, i. 269-271; DB, ii. 425-427; EB, ii. 2126-28; JE, vi. 478-479; and the sourow in I7 Kings xv. 30, xvii. 1-6, xviii. 9-12.

HOSIUS OF CORDOVA.

Earlier Life (§ 1).

At the Council of Nicaea (§ 2).

At the Council of Sardica (§ 3).

Unhappy Close of Life (§ 4).

1. Earlier Life

Hosius, or Osius, of Cordova, though one of the celebrated churchmen of the third century, desig nated by Athanasius with the title of "the Great," found no formal biog

Life. rapher, and left no writings except two letters, one to the Emperor Conatan tius and one to Julius of Rome. All that is known of him is derived from these letters, from casual mention in contemporary documents and authors, and from a few credible details of later tradition.

He must have been born about 257, where is unknown; since in 356 he had been bishop of Cordova " more than sixty years " (Athanasius, " Hist. of the Arians," xlii.), he must have been consecrated to that see about 295. That he was a confessor " when a persecution broke out under Maximian, the grandfather of Conatantius," is known from his own letter, but nothing as to the place or details. He was present at the Synod of Elvira (q.v.), but probably did not preside over it. He shared the rigorist tendency of the synod, and it may be argued from canon axxiii. that he was himself a celibate. His presence there has a bearing on the date of the synod; the theory which places it about 313 is weakened by the fact that from 313 at latest, if not 312, he is found in the neighborhood of Conatantine. What commended him to the emperor is unknown; but it is certain that for a number of years, perhaps up to about 326, he was near Conatantine as his chief adviser in matters ecclesiastical. The Donatists held him responsible, although he was not present at the anti-Donatist Synod of Arles, for the repressive measures adopted against them by the emperor; the imperial ordinance as to the manumission of slaves in the churches (Apr. 1$, 321) was addressed to him; and it was he whom Conatantine sent to Alexandria. in 323 or 324 to settle the troubles there. A synod held there in his presence rebuked Colluthus, an ambitious presbyter who had assumed episcopal functions and a achismatical position, declared null and void the orders conferred by him, and forced him to renounce his claims to episcopal powers.