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.
| 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 |
Biblical data
Jehoram, a descendant of King David, actively promoted the worship of the Hebrew Lord in his country, but he tolerated Athaliah's worship of Baal.
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.
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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