▁external ▁evidence ▁to ▁directly ▁associate ▁composition ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁with ▁a ▁proph et ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Ze ph ania h . ▁Some ▁sch ol ars , ▁such ▁as ▁Kent ▁Harold ▁Rich ards ▁and ▁Jason ▁De R ouch ie , ▁consider ▁the ▁words ▁in ▁Ze ph ania h ▁to ▁reflect ▁a ▁time ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁King ▁Jos iah ▁( 6 4 0 – 6 0 9 ▁BC ) ▁before ▁his ▁re forms ▁of ▁ 6 2 2 ▁BC ▁took ▁full ▁effect , ▁in ▁which ▁case ▁the ▁proph et ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁born ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Man asse h ▁( 6 9 8 / 6 8 7 – 6 4 2 ▁BC ). ▁O thers ▁agree ▁that ▁some ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁is ▁post mon arch ic , ▁that ▁is , ▁d ating ▁to ▁later ▁than ▁ 5 8 6 ▁BC ▁when ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Jud ah ▁fell ▁in ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁Jerusalem . ▁Some ▁who ▁consider ▁the ▁book ▁to ▁have ▁largely ▁been ▁written ▁by ▁a ▁historical ▁Ze ph ania h ▁have ▁suggested ▁that ▁he ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁dis ci ple ▁of ▁Isa iah ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁books ' ▁similar ▁focus ▁on ▁r amp ant ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁in just ice ▁in ▁Jud ah . ▁ ▁Pur pose ▁▁ ▁If ▁Ze ph ania h ▁was ▁largely ▁composed ▁during ▁the ▁monarch ic ▁period , ▁then ▁its ▁composition ▁was ▁occasion ed ▁by ▁Jud ah ' s ▁ref us al ▁to ▁obey ▁its ▁c oven ant ▁oblig ations ▁toward ▁Y ah