hu.

And the house of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom.

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ATHALIAH.

_How a Queen Reigned in Judah and How Jehoiada the Priest Conspired
Against Her_.

(In addition to her share of downright wickedness, Athaliah possessed
the fierce tiger-like courage and ferocity of the race of Ahab. When
she heard that her son was dead she determined immediately to murder
all her unfortunate little grandchildren! She was a lovely
grandmother, indeed! She carried out her determination, and killed all
but one, whom she failed to find. Perhaps since she was so busy she
did not miss the little fellow! At any rate his good aunt Jehosheba
took little baby Joash and hid him and his nurse in a bedchamber. He
was kept concealed for six years, while the ugly old grandmother ruled
the nation with a rod of iron, and did all the bad and abominable
things she could think of. But by and by a priest named Jehoiada
thought a change would be most desirable. So he conspired against her.
He took the guard secretly into the palace and showed them little
Joash, who was now seven years old, and told them that he was their
true king, and they all swore allegiance to him. Then, next Sabbath
while the people were at worship, the guard surrounded the city with
the old weapons in their hands which had been King David's, and which
they had found hidden in the house of the Lord. And the priest brought
out little Joash and put a crown on his head, and all the people and
the soldiers clapped their hands and shouted, "God save the king!" And
the wicked old queen was there, angry enough, you may be sure, and she
tore her garments, and shouted shrilly, "Treason! Treason!" But the
soldiers only drove her to her palace, and there they killed her, and
that was the end of the evil woman, and nobody cared when she died.)

{272}

Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she
arose and destroyed all the sons of the king.

But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took
Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's
sons that were slain, even him and his nurse, and put them in the
bedchamber; and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord six years: and
Athaliah reigned over the land.

And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the captains over
hundreds, and of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of
t