Athaliah

Athaliah (Hebrew: ʻAṯalyā (עֲתַלְיָה), "God is exalted") was the queen of Judah during the reign of King Jehoram, and later became sole ruler of Judah for five years. William F. Albright has dated her reign to 842 B.C.E. – 837 B.C.E., while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 841 B.C.E. – 835 B.C.E. Athaliah was the daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of Israel; her marriage to Jehoram sealed a treaty between the two sometimes warring Israelite nations.

After Jehoram's death, their son Ahaziah became Judah's king with Athaliah acting as queen mother. After Ahaziah was killed during a state visit to Israel along with several of Athaliah's northern royal family members, Althaliah staged a bloody coup in Jerusalem, placing herself on the throne.

Athaliah succeeded in executing all possible successors to the throne David except one, a grandson of hers named Jehoash. She reigned for six years during which she tolerated the worship of both Baal and Yahweh, a policy unacceptable to the priests of Yahweh, who sheltered young Jehoash in the Temple of Jerusalem. Athaliah was overthrown and murdered in a coup led by the high priest Jehoiada.

Background

Athaliah was the daughter of the northern king Ahab and his Phoenicia wife Jezebel. Her mother was known to be an ardent worshiper of "Baal," probably Baal Melqart of Tyre, while Ahab was a devotee of Yahweh who earned the disapproval of the prophets for his toleration of Baal worship. Athaliah's name, however, means "Yahweh is exalted."

Israel and Judah had been at war in earlier generations, but during the time of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, the two nations formed a strong alliance. This resulted in Ahab contracting a marriage between Athaliah and Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram.

After Jehoshaphat's death, Athaliah rose to the position of queen consort as Jehoram became Judah's king. Meanwhile, Athaliah's brother, also called Jehoram (Joram) had become king of Israel following Ahab's death. Athaliah probably had several children with her husband Jehoram, who was 32 when he became king and reigned for eight years. However, since the biblical record does not indicated which of Jehoram's children were born to Athaliah, and which to any other wives he might have had, it is impossible to say which of his children, other than Azaraiah, were hers. The Book of Chronicles lists Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah as Jehoram's sons, while the Book of Kings adds a daughter named NAME OF DAUGFHTER. Little is said about him in the biblical record, except that he lost control of his Edomite vassals and that he he "did evil in the eyes of the Lord," (2 Kings 8:18) which normally refers to a king tolerating the worship of other deities beside Yahweh. This policy, no doubt, was at least in part due to Athaliah's influence.

After Jehoram's death, their son Ahaziah became Judah's king with Athaliah acting as queen mother.

Biblical data

Jehu assassinated them both in Yahweh's name and had Athaliah's entire extended family in Israel murdered.

Jehoash]]. was rescued from the purge by Jehosheba, Ahaziah's sister, and was raised in secret by the priest Jehoiada.

Though the Bible presents her as a negative character, not to be emulated, "Athaliah" is attested, though infrequently, as a female first name in contemporary Israel.

Athaliah hides as Joash is proclaimed king

House of David Cadet Branch of the Tribe of Judah
Preceded by: Ahaziah	Queen of Judah Albright: 842 B.C.E. – 837 B.C.E. Thiele: 841 B.C.E. – 835 B.C.E. Galil: 843 B.C.E. – 835 B.C.E.	Succeeded by: Jehoash

Sources

• II Paralipomenon 22:1-23:15
• Josheph, Antiquitates iudaicae viii-ix
• Hebrew Bible - her story of her actions are told in 2 Kings 8:16 – 11:16
• Virginia Brown's translation of Giovanni Boccaccio’s Famous Women, pp. 102-106; Harvard University Press 2001; ISBN 0-674-01130-9

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