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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

ATHALIAH

1. Wife of King Jehoram of Judah, and daughter of King Ahab of Israel and his wife, Jezebel. Athaliah, Judah’s only queen, ruled 841–835 BC (2 Kgs 11; 2 Chr 22–23).

Like her mother, Jezebel, Athaliah worshiped the Canaanite god Baal and encouraged her husband to do the same. Evidently she had considerable influence over Jehoram. After his death their son Ahaziah was made king (2 Kgs 8:25-27; 2 Chr 22:1). Like Jehoram, Ahaziah was influenced by Athaliah and did “what was evil in the Lord’s sight” (2 Kgs 8:27).

Because the kings of Israel and Judah disobeyed the Lord, Jehu was anointed by God to be the true king of Israel (2 Kgs 9:2-3). Jehu then killed Joram, king of Israel (2 Kgs 9:24), and Ahaziah, king of Judah (2 Kgs 9:27; 2 Chr 22:9). After the death of her son, Athaliah seized the throne of Judah by destroying (so she thought) all the males in the royal family (2 Kgs 11:1; 2 Chr 22:10). But Jehoshabeath, Jehoram’s daughter and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, rescued Ahaziah’s son Joash and hid him away (2 Kgs 11:2-3; 2 Chr 22:11-12).

After six years Jehoiada “took courage” and resolved to reveal the young prince Joash to the people, making an agreement with some mercenary army officers who summoned to Jerusalem “the Levites . . . and the heads of fathers’ houses of Israel” (2 Chr 23:1-3, rsv). In a secret ceremony in the temple Joash was crowned king. Athaliah heard people rejoicing and blowing trumpets and tried to halt the proceedings by tearing her clothes and yelling, “Treason!” She was immediately taken from the temple area and executed (2 Kgs 11:13-16; 2 Chr 23:12-15). See Israel, History of; Kings, Books of First and Second.

2. One of the sons of Jehoram from Benjamin’s tribe (1 Chr 8:26).

3. Father of Jeshaiah, the head of the sons of Elam who returned from Babylon with Ezra (Ezr 8:7).