Manasseh of Judah vs Ran Min

Manasseh rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed, erected altars for Baal, made Asherah poles, and worshiped the starry hosts. He placed altars in the Temple of Yahweh and practiced child sacrifice in the Valley of Ben Hinnom.

Manasseh shed much innocent blood, filling Jerusalem from one end to another. According to tradition, he executed the prophet Isaiah by having him sawn in two. This persecution silenced opposition to his idolatrous policies.

Manasseh reigned for 55 years, longer than any other king of Judah. His reign was marked by political stability and submission to Assyrian suzerainty, which allowed Judah to prosper economically despite religious decline.

Assyrian king Esarhaddon or Ashurbanipal captured Manasseh and took him to Babylon in chains. This event is recorded in the Bible and in Assyrian records. Manasseh was later allowed to return to Jerusalem and restore his rule.

While in captivity, Manasseh humbled himself and prayed to God. After his return to Jerusalem, he removed the foreign gods and idols from the Temple, restored the altar of Yahweh, and commanded Judah to serve the God of Israel.

Ran Min issued an edict ordering the extermination of the Jie people in northern China. This led to mass killings of Jie and other non-Han ethnic groups, with estimates of hundreds of thousands killed, causing widespread ethnic violence and destabilization.

Ran Min declared himself emperor of the short-lived Wei dynasty after overthrowing the Later Zhao regime. His rule was marked by constant warfare with surrounding states and ethnic tensions.

Ran Min was defeated in battle by the Xianbei-led Former Yan state. He was captured and later executed, ending his brief reign and the Wei dynasty.