e departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel
to sin."[459] Apparently he found it necessary to secure the support
of the idolators of the ancient cult of the "Queen of Heaven".

The crown of Judah had been seized by the Israelitish Queen mother
Athaliah after the death of her son Ahaziah at the hands of Jehu.[460]
She endeavoured to destroy "all the seed royal of the house of Judah".
But another woman thwarted the completion of her monstrous design.
This was Jehoshabeath, sister of Ahaziah and wife of the priest
Jehoiada, who concealed the young prince Joash "and put him and his
nurse in a bedchamber", in "the house of God". There Joash was
strictly guarded for six years.[461]

In time Jehoiada stirred up a revolt against the Baal-worshipping
queen of Judah. Having secured the support of the captains of the
royal guard and a portion of the army, he brought out from the temple
the seven years old prince Joash, "the king's son, and put upon him
the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada
and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.

"Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising
the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord: and she
looked, and, behold the king stood at his pillar at the entering in,
and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of
the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with
instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then
Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.

"Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that
were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth of the
ranges: and whoso followeth her, let him be slain by the sword. For
the priest said, Slay her not in the house of the Lord. So they laid
hands on her; and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate
by the king's house, they slew her there.

"And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people,
and between the king, that they should be the Lord's people. Then all
the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his
altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal
before the altars."[462]

When Jehu of Israel died, he was succeeded by Jehoahaz. "The Lord was
kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of
Ben-hadad the son of Hazael all their days." Then Jehoahaz repented.
H