by piece. King Ahaz stripped the Temple of a portion of its silver and gold, broke up the Temple furniture and utensils, and removed the bronze oxen from the Molten Sea in order to satisfy the national debt owed the Assyrian king Tiglath- Pileser III (2 Chronicles 28:21,24). Later, he closed the Temple doors and constructed idolatrous altars throughout Jerusalem. Ahaz’s son Hezekiah set in motion events that would bring about the Temple’s destruction. He unwisely showed the treasures of the Temple