Illustration created for this project.
Athaliah
A daughter of Ahab and Jezebel who seized Judah's throne and slew the royal heirs, until Jehoiada overthrew her.
What we know — and how we know it
Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 2
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 1
Family & lineage
BibleDaughter of Ahab and Jezebel; on her son's death she seized Judah's throne and destroyed the royal heirs.
2 Kings 11:1
ScholarlyAthaliah, the only woman ever to reign over Judah, was a daughter of the house of Omri — the Israelite dynasty attested directly on the Mesha Stele and in Assyrian records. Through her, Judah's royal line joins an archaeologically documented family, even though no inscription names Athaliah herself.
Ties to the house of Omri; cf. 2 Kings 8:26
Death & legacy
BibleShe was overthrown when the hidden boy-king Joash was revealed in the Temple, and killed.
2 Kings 11:13–16
Where in scripture
2 KingsNow when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring.
2 Kings 11:1 — Destroys the royal family
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
Family
In their own words — 1 recorded saying
“And looking, she saw the king in his regular place by the pillar, and the captains and the horns near him; and all the people of the land giving signs of joy and sounding the horns. Then Athaliah, violently parting her robes, gave a cry, saying, Broken faith, broken faith!” — 2 Kings 11:14
Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).
Places in their life
Photo: Godot13 — CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
In art
