Athaliah was one of the most wicked women in the Bible. She was the sister, or perhaps half-sister, of King Ahab. She came to a deserved bad end. Here’s her story:
2 Chronicles 22:2 Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. … 2 Chronicles 22:10 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah. 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the king’s daughter, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stealthily rescued him from among the king’s sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that she didn’t kill him. 22:12 He was with them hidden in God’s house six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Note that Athaliah not only destroyed the royal offspring, but it is likely that some of them were her grandchildren. I can’t imagine anyone doing that. After a few years, the people, led by the High Priest, acted to install Joash as king:
2 Chronicles 23:12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into Yahweh’s house. 23:13 Then she looked, and, behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpets by the king. All the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets. The singers also played musical instruments, and led the singing of praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and said, “Treason! treason!” They took Athaliah and killed her.
There is another Athaliah, probably a male, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:26.
God willing, there will be a forthcoming post, covering the same ground, about Jehoshabeath.
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