Who is Queen Athaliah in the Bible?

Quick Facts

Father: King Ahab, 2Ki 8:18
Predecessor: Ahaziah of Judah, 2Ki 11:1-3
Husband: Jehoram of Judah, 2Ki 8:18
Succession: Joash of Judah, 2Ki 11:4-16
Length of reign: 7 years, 2Ki 11:4
Successor: 7th queen
Kingdom: Kingdom of Judah
Reign: 841 BC – 835 BC
Morality: evil queen
Biblical history: 2Ki 11:1-3, 2Ki 11:4-12, 2Ki 11:13-16

Athaliah becomes queen of Judah

King Jehoshaphat of Judah was a god-fearing king, but he befriended the wicked King Ahab, building a strong alliance between the house of David and the house of Ahab. Even after the death of these two kings, the alliance between their families continued until the reign of Jehu. The cordial relationship between King Ahab and King Jehoshaphat paved the way for Ahab’s daughter Athaliah to be married to Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram.

Athaliah proved herself to be a wicked queen just like her mother Queen Jezebel of Israel for she contributed much to the tragic life of her husband. Having been raised in idolatry in her father’s house, she was a very bad influence on King Jehoram, turning his heart away from serving the one true God of Israel to worship idols. (2 Kings 8:18). King Jehoram later died of a bowel disease God inflicted upon him for his sins.

When King Jehoram died, Ahaziah, the son of King Jehoram and Queen Athaliah, was made a king. As if causing the downfall of her husband was not enough, Athaliah and the house of Ahab negatively influenced King Ahaziah into idolatry and warfare to his downfall. Ahaziah of Judah reigned for a year and met his untimely death at the hands of Jehu, a military commander who rose to kill the entire house of Ahab. (2 Chronicles 22:3-4)

When Queen Athaliah saw that her son, King Ahaziah, was dead, she killed all the children of Ahaziah, who were her own grandchildren, and she usurped the throne and ruled as queen of Judah in Jerusalem. However, little did she know that Jehosheba the sister of Ahaziah saved one of the sons of Ahaziah from the purge. This surviving son Joash and his nurse were made to hide in the Temple of Solomon under the care of the priest Jehoiada throughout the 7 years of Athaliah’s reign. ( Reference 2 Kings 11:3)   

The death of Queen Athaliah

In the 7th year of Athaliah’s reign, the priest Jehoiada sought the support of some officials of the kingdom, military officers, and the temple guards and he made a covenant with them and showed them the 7-year-old Joash. They conspired to make Joash king and dethrone Athaliah. After all the security measures were put in place, Jehoiada and his allies converged in the Temple of Solomon and they brought forth Joash and crowned him, after which there was rejoicing and loud noisemaking. (2 Kings 11:12-16)

When Queen Athaliah heard the sound of rejoicing and trumpets, she came into the temple. And when she saw that a new king had been crowned, she tore her clothes, and shouted, “Treason, Treason.” But at Jehoiada’s orders, she and her followers were arrested, taken outside the temple, and killed. (2 Kings 11)

Athaliah the wicked queen eventually died, but before her own death, she caused the fall and death of many people; one was her husband, one was her son, and the rest were her own grandchildren. For her grandchildren, she killed them in the name of power.

Contemporaries of Queen Athaliah

King Jehu was ruling Israel during Athaliah’s reign. There was no good relationship between them because, King Jehu, when he took the throne, completely exterminated the entire family of King Ahab, the father of Queen Athaliah. Queen Athaliah was the only living descendant of Ahab at the time of King Jehu’s reign.

The major events during Athaliah’s reign

  • Jehu killed the entire family of King Ahab, leaving only Athaliah. (2 Kings 10:1-11; 2 Kings 10:15-17)
  • Jehu killed all the worshipers of Baal. (2 Kings 10:18-31)

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