Do you know who Athaliah was in the Bible? Do you know what she is known for and who she became after her son’s death? To understand the story of this Old Testament woman, keep reading the article.
The story of Athaliah became known in the Bible mainly because she relentlessly strove to replicate in the Southern Kingdom the culture of the sin which marked the Northern Kingdom during the rule of his fathers.
Athaliah was the daughter of King Ahab of Israel and Jezebel; she was the wife of Joram, king of Judah. Atalia usurped the kingdom of the South becoming the only queen of Judah in all of history for a period of 7 years after the murder of her son Ahaziah (2 Kings 11).
Related: What are the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Judah?
What does the name Athaliah mean?
The name Athaliah means “Yahweh is strong” or “Yahweh is great.”
Athaliah was born into an environment that completely denied the one true God. She married Joram, the firstborn of Jehoshaphata just and upright king.
Story of Athaliah in the Bible
Athaliah’s father, as we mentioned earlier, was Ahab, seventh king of the North or also called Israel, his mother, Jezebel, was a foreign woman, more specifically a Phoenician princess.
Jezebel was a woman who exercised great influence over her father, and managed to promote the cult of falsehood in Israel. baal gods. Even Jezebel’s power was so great in the Kingdom of Israel that she was able to persecute God’s prophets, finding in Elijah the prophet his great opponent.
This family background with Athaliah’s parents serves as a context to understand her behavior when she held a privileged position in the Kingdom of Judah. What he learned from his father, he put into practice in Judah, and his actions were terribly disastrous.
The marriage of Athaliah and Joram according to the Bible
Athaliah married Joram, although their marriage was more political than family, managing to end the existing conflicts between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah (2 Kings 8:16-17). This happened because of the relationship of Jehoshaphat and Ahab who had military adventures together, and in which a union of the two houses may have seemed favorable to them.
Consummated the marriage between amnos, Athalía caused the worship of Baal to be tolerated in the Kingdom of the South, even after the efforts that Jehoshaphat had made to eradicate it. Also, under Athaliah’s influence, Joram killed his own brothers (2 Chronicles 21:4).
Joram died at the age of 40 and as all his sons were killed by the Arabs, only Ahaziah survived, who in turn became king of Judah, but under the direct influence of his mother Athaliah (2 Kings 8: 26; 2 Chronicles 22:2).
During the reign of Ahaziah, the cult of Baal continued to be promoted in Judah.
How did Athaliah usurp the throne of Judah?
During the period that Ahaziah was in power, he cooperated heavily with the Northern Kingdom; which at that time was ruled by Jehoram of Israel, Athaliah’s brother.
However, after a year, both Ahaziah of Judah and Joram of Israel were killed by Jehu, the commander of Israel’s army who later became king.
When Ahaziah was assassinated, none of his descendants were old enough to assume the throne of Judah. It was then that Athaliah eventually seized power in the Southern Kingdom and became ruler of Judah.
In addition, Athaliah took the opportunity to promote a massacre in the court of Judah in order to exterminate the offspring of David. In this way, Athalía tried to kill all the heirs to the throne, even if they were her own grandchildren.
But Joash, son of Ahaziah, was saved by his aunt Josaba. This woman, who was married to the priest Jehoiada, hid Joash, preventing him from being assassinated by order of his own grandmother when he was only one year old. Joash lived in hiding in the Temple for six years (2 Kings 11:1-3; 2 Chronicles 22:10-12).
What was Athaliah’s reign in Jerusalem like?
While Joash was raised in secret, Athaliah ruled Judah in the worst possible way between 841 and 835 BC. She was ruthless to her opponents, and did everything possible to ensure that Baal worship was vigorously promoted in Judah (2 Chronicles 24: 7). Even Athaliah and her followers used the Temple of God to worship the Baals.
Until the high priest Jehoiada led a revolt against Athaliah and made Joash king of Judah at the age of seven. Athaliah claimed that it had been a betrayal, but ended up dead in one of the palace entrances after being expelled from the Temple (2 Chronicles 24).
After Athaliah’s death, the people destroyed Baal’s sanctuary, smashed its altars and images, and killed its priest (2 Chronicles 24:17). For all these reasons, the Bible characterizes Athaliah as one of the most evil women, just like her mother (2 Chronicles 24: 7).
The Bible states that after the death of Athaliah, the last representative of Ahab’s house, all the people rejoiced and the city was left at peace (2 Chronicles 23:21).
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