Antiquities Book 9, Chapter 7
How Athaliah Reigned Over Jerusalem For Five [Six] Years When Jehoiada The High Priest Slew Her And Made Jehoash, The Son Of Ahaziah, King.
1. Now when Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab, heard of the death of her
brother Joram, and of her son Ahaziah, and of the royal family, she
endeavored that none of the house of David might be left alive, but that
the whole family might be exterminated, that no king might arise out of
it afterward; and, as she thought, she had actually done it; but one of
Ahaziah's sons was preserved, who escaped death after the manner
following: Ahaziah had a sister by the same father, whose name was
Jehosheba, and she was married to the high priest Jehoiada. She went
into the king's palace, and found Jehoash, for that was the little
child's name, who was not above a year old, among those that were slain,
but concealed with his nurse; so she took him with her into a secret
bed-chamber, and shut him up there, and she and her husband Jehoiada
brought him up privately in the temple six years, during which time
Athaliah reigned over Jerusalem and the two tribes.
2. Now, on the Seventh year, Jehoiada communicated the matter to certain
of the captains of hundreds, five in number, and persuaded them to be
assisting to what attempts he was making against Athaliah, and to join
with him in asserting the kingdom to the child. He also received such
oaths from them as are proper to secure those that assist one another
from the fear of discovery; and he was then of good hope that they
should depose Athaliah. Now those men whom Jehoiada the priest had taken
to be his partners went into all the country, and gathered together the
priests and the Levites, and the heads of the tribes out of it, and came
and brought them to Jerusalem to the high priest. So he demanded the
security of an oath of them, to keep private whatsoever he should
discover to them, which required both their silence and their
assistance. So when they had taken the oath, and had thereby made it
safe for him to speak, he produced the child that he had brought up of
the family of David, and said to them, "This is your king, of that house
which you know God hath foretold should reign over you for all time to
come. I exhort you therefore that one-third part of you guard him in the
temple, and that a fourth part keep watch at all the gates of the
temple, and that the next part of you keep guard at the gate which opens
and leads to the king's palace, and let the rest of the multitude be
unarmed in the temple, and let no armed person go into the temple, but
the priest only." He also gave them this order besides, "That a part of
the priests and the Levites should be about the king himself, and be a
guard to him, with their drawn swords, and to kill that man immediately,
whoever he be, that should be so bold as to enter armed into the temple;
and bid them be afraid of nobody, but persevere in guarding the king."
So these men obeyed what the high priest advised them to, and declared
the reality of their resolution by their actions. Jehoiada also opened
that armory which David had made in the temple, and distributed to the
captains of hundreds, as also to the priests and Levites, all the spears
and quivers, and what kind of weapons soever it contained, and set them
armed in a circle round about the temple, so as to touch one another's
hands, and by that means excluding those from entering that ought not to
enter. So they brought the child into the midst of them, and put on him
the royal crown, and Jehoiada anointed him with the oil, and made him
king; and the multitude rejoiced, and made a noise, and cried, "God save
the king!"
3. When Athaliah unexpectedly heard the tumult and the acclamations, she
was greatly disturbed in her mind, and suddenly issued out of the royal
palace with her own army; and when she was come to the temple, the
priests received her; but as for those that stood round about the
temple, as they were ordered by the high priest to do, they hindered the
armed inert that followed her from going in. But when Athaliah saw the
child standing upon a pillar, with the royal crown upon his head, she
rent her clothes, and cried out vehemently, and commanded [her guards]
to kill him that had laid snares for her, and endeavored to deprive her
of the government. But Jehoiada called for the captains of hundreds, and
commanded them to bring Athaliah to the valley of Cedron, and slay her
there, for he would not have the temple defiled with the punishments of
this pernicious woman; and he gave order, that if any one came near to
help her, he should be slain also; wherefore those that had the charge
of her slaughter took hold of her, and led her to the gate of the king's
mules, and slew her there.
4. Now as soon as what concerned Athaliah was by this stratagem, after
this manner, despatched, Jehoiada called together the people and the
armed men into the temple, and made them take an oath that they would be
obedient to the king, and take care of his safety, and of the safety of
his government; after which he obliged the king to give security [upon
oath] that he would worship God, and not transgress the laws of Moses.
They then ran to the house of Baal, which Athaliah and her husband
Jehoram had built, to the dishonor of the God of their fathers, and to
the honor of Ahab, and demolished it, and slew Mattan, that had his
priesthood. But Jehoiada intrusted the care and custody of the temple to
the priests and Levites, according to the appointment of king David, and
enjoined them to bring their regular burnt-offerings twice a day, and to
offer incense according to the law. He also ordained some of the
Levites, with the porters, to be a guard to the temple, that no one that
was defiled might come there.
5. And when Jehoiada had set these things in order, he, with the
captains of hundreds, and the rulers, and all the people, took Jehoash
out of the temple into the king's palace; and when he had set him upon
the king's throne, the people shouted for joy, and betook themselves to
feasting, and kept a festival for many days; but the city was quiet upon
the death of Athaliah. Now Jehoash was seven years old when he took the
kingdom. His mother's name was Zibiah, of the city Beersheba. And all
the time that Jehoiada lived Jehoash was careful that the laws should be
kept, and very zealous in the worship of God; and when he was of age, he
married two wives, who were given to him by the high priest, by whom
were born to him both sons and daughters. And thus much shall suffice to
have related concerning king Jehoash, how he escaped the treachery of
Athaliah, and how he received the kingdom.
brother Joram, and of her son Ahaziah, and of the royal family, she
endeavored that none of the house of David might be left alive, but that
the whole family might be exterminated, that no king might arise out of
it afterward; and, as she thought, she had actually done it; but one of
Ahaziah's sons was preserved, who escaped death after the manner
following: Ahaziah had a sister by the same father, whose name was
Jehosheba, and she was married to the high priest Jehoiada. She went
into the king's palace, and found Jehoash, for that was the little
child's name, who was not above a year old, among those that were slain,
but concealed with his nurse; so she took him with her into a secret
bed-chamber, and shut him up there, and she and her husband Jehoiada
brought him up privately in the temple six years, during which time
Athaliah reigned over Jerusalem and the two tribes.
2. Now, on the Seventh year, Jehoiada communicated the matter to certain
of the captains of hundreds, five in number, and persuaded them to be
assisting to what attempts he was making against Athaliah, and to join
with him in asserting the kingdom to the child. He also received such
oaths from them as are proper to secure those that assist one another
from the fear of discovery; and he was then of good hope that they
should depose Athaliah. Now those men whom Jehoiada the priest had taken
to be his partners went into all the country, and gathered together the
priests and the Levites, and the heads of the tribes out of it, and came
and brought them to Jerusalem to the high priest. So he demanded the
security of an oath of them, to keep private whatsoever he should
discover to them, which required both their silence and their
assistance. So when they had taken the oath, and had thereby made it
safe for him to speak, he produced the child that he had brought up of
the family of David, and said to them, "This is your king, of that house
which you know God hath foretold should reign over you for all time to
come. I exhort you therefore that one-third part of you guard him in the
temple, and that a fourth part keep watch at all the gates of the
temple, and that the next part of you keep guard at the gate which opens
and leads to the king's palace, and let the rest of the multitude be
unarmed in the temple, and let no armed person go into the temple, but
the priest only." He also gave them this order besides, "That a part of
the priests and the Levites should be about the king himself, and be a
guard to him, with their drawn swords, and to kill that man immediately,
whoever he be, that should be so bold as to enter armed into the temple;
and bid them be afraid of nobody, but persevere in guarding the king."
So these men obeyed what the high priest advised them to, and declared
the reality of their resolution by their actions. Jehoiada also opened
that armory which David had made in the temple, and distributed to the
captains of hundreds, as also to the priests and Levites, all the spears
and quivers, and what kind of weapons soever it contained, and set them
armed in a circle round about the temple, so as to touch one another's
hands, and by that means excluding those from entering that ought not to
enter. So they brought the child into the midst of them, and put on him
the royal crown, and Jehoiada anointed him with the oil, and made him
king; and the multitude rejoiced, and made a noise, and cried, "God save
the king!"
3. When Athaliah unexpectedly heard the tumult and the acclamations, she
was greatly disturbed in her mind, and suddenly issued out of the royal
palace with her own army; and when she was come to the temple, the
priests received her; but as for those that stood round about the
temple, as they were ordered by the high priest to do, they hindered the
armed inert that followed her from going in. But when Athaliah saw the
child standing upon a pillar, with the royal crown upon his head, she
rent her clothes, and cried out vehemently, and commanded [her guards]
to kill him that had laid snares for her, and endeavored to deprive her
of the government. But Jehoiada called for the captains of hundreds, and
commanded them to bring Athaliah to the valley of Cedron, and slay her
there, for he would not have the temple defiled with the punishments of
this pernicious woman; and he gave order, that if any one came near to
help her, he should be slain also; wherefore those that had the charge
of her slaughter took hold of her, and led her to the gate of the king's
mules, and slew her there.
4. Now as soon as what concerned Athaliah was by this stratagem, after
this manner, despatched, Jehoiada called together the people and the
armed men into the temple, and made them take an oath that they would be
obedient to the king, and take care of his safety, and of the safety of
his government; after which he obliged the king to give security [upon
oath] that he would worship God, and not transgress the laws of Moses.
They then ran to the house of Baal, which Athaliah and her husband
Jehoram had built, to the dishonor of the God of their fathers, and to
the honor of Ahab, and demolished it, and slew Mattan, that had his
priesthood. But Jehoiada intrusted the care and custody of the temple to
the priests and Levites, according to the appointment of king David, and
enjoined them to bring their regular burnt-offerings twice a day, and to
offer incense according to the law. He also ordained some of the
Levites, with the porters, to be a guard to the temple, that no one that
was defiled might come there.
5. And when Jehoiada had set these things in order, he, with the
captains of hundreds, and the rulers, and all the people, took Jehoash
out of the temple into the king's palace; and when he had set him upon
the king's throne, the people shouted for joy, and betook themselves to
feasting, and kept a festival for many days; but the city was quiet upon
the death of Athaliah. Now Jehoash was seven years old when he took the
kingdom. His mother's name was Zibiah, of the city Beersheba. And all
the time that Jehoiada lived Jehoash was careful that the laws should be
kept, and very zealous in the worship of God; and when he was of age, he
married two wives, who were given to him by the high priest, by whom
were born to him both sons and daughters. And thus much shall suffice to
have related concerning king Jehoash, how he escaped the treachery of
Athaliah, and how he received the kingdom.