Athaiah (Hastings' Dictionary)

A man of Jndah dwelling in Jerus. (Neh 11«). See GENEALOGY. ATHALIAH (n;|!nj^ 'whom J" has dragged roughly '),* daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (2 K 8"), called daughter of Omri, 2 K 8=«, 2 Ch 22". She married Jchoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah (2 K 8", 2 Ch 18' 21«) ; and as she inherited her mother's strong character, her influence for evil was predominant over both her husband and her son (2 K S'", '', 2 Ch 22»-«).

Under her influence the cult of the Zidonian Baal prevailed in Judah to such a decree that the temple of J' was ' broken up' (2 Ch 24'), — the materials being probably used for the temple of Baal, — so that a thorough restoration waa needed in the following reign.

On the death of Ahaziah, Athaliah, who enjoyed already much authority as queen mother, and probably had a considerable following among the people, procured the massacre of all her grand- children, Joash alone escaping, and Athaliah was queen of Israel for six years. No particulars are recorded of lier reij^n, "but the circumstances of her deposition are related minutely.

According to 2 K 11, the high priest Jehoiada, navin<j won over ' the captains over hundreds, of the Carites and of the guard,' arranged that the portion of thera who formed the temple guard on the Sabbath day should be posted in three equal divisions at the three main approaches to the temple, i.e. (a) the entry from the palace (Jos.; cf. 1 K 10», 2 K 16'»); (i) ' the gate Sur ' ; (c) ' the gate behind the guard' (Ewald's idea [/// iv. p. 1.

3;')], that 'the watch of the king's house ' means the usual palace guard, seems inconsistent with Jchoia<la's words in V.') ; while the other two companies should not go off guard as usual, but 'comiia-ss the king round about' wherever he went. Additional solemnity was given to the proceedings by the use made of David's dedicated armour. See Joash. Kcm.

sed by the unusual noise caused by the acclamations which greeted the coronation of Joash, Athaliah came into the temple alone, her guard having been prevented from following her (Jos. Ant. vs.. vii. 3). The truth flashed upon her at once j ' she rent her clothes, and cried. Treason, treason ! ' Any • Chejre »u(,'(.'c8t« the Amyr. root SnV ' to h« or become (rrest (on in rtfllitu, 'lady,' 'queen'); then Athaliahv* J" is axftltad. {See Hxpos. Timet, vli. 4B4, 688, viii. 48.)

196 ATHARIM ATHENS syijpathy that mi<;ht have been evoked was cowed by the overwhelming display of force. The sacred precincts might not be polluted with her blood, ' so they made way for her,' and she passed out, and was struck down ' by the way of the horses' entry to the king's house.' The variations of the Chronicler (2 Ch 23) from this account are characteristic.

Under the second temple, uncir- cumcised foreigners were not permitted to appioach holy things; he therefore substitutes for 'the Carites and the guard ' the courses of priests and Levites whose weeks of service began and ended respectively on that Sabbath. They are posted at (a) 'the king's house,' (6) 'the gate of the foundation' (lo^n for -no), (c) 'the doors.'

The captains — five in number, whose names are given — having been thus deprived of their men, are re- presented as 'set over the host' (v.'*), i.e. the whole population capable of bearing arms, and are obliged to 'go about in Judah, and gather the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers' houses,' to Jerusalem. The young king is publicly presented to 'all the congregation,' not, aa in Kings, secretly to the captains alone.

The people, who take a very subordinate part in Kings, fill, with the Levites not on duty (cf. 2 Ch 5"), the temple courts. Thus, while in Kings the deposition of Athaliah is efiFected by a sudden coup (TUat carried out by the high priest and foreign mercenaries, and every precaution is taken against a j)opular rising in Athaliah's favour ; in Chron.

it is the act of the whole nation, constitutionally represented by the ecclesiastical and civil authorities, and it is exe- cuted in the most deliberate and orderly fashion. 'The sons of Athaliah,' 2 Ch 24', has been explained to mean (a) Ahaziah and his brethren before they were carried away, 2 Ch 21" (Jos. Ant. IX. viii. 2) ; or (6) the priests of Baal (Jerome, Qu. Ueb., in loc.) ; or (c) her illegitimate children. 2. 1 Ch S", a Benjamite dwelling in Jerus. 3.

Ezr 8', father of Jeshaiah, who was one of Ezra's companions. N. J. D. White. ATHARIM (D-ifiKn in^), Nn 21'.— Either, a proper name of a place from which the route was named ; Bo RV ' the way of Atharim,' as LXX, — or, ' the way of tracks, i.e. a regular caravan roa!d (cf. Arab. 'Ithr, a trace). The rendering of AV, ' way of the spies,' follows Targ. and Syr. ; d'vik may then be a plur. of inn in a sense slightly different from that given above, or = D'-!ij 'spies.'

The ' way of Athanm ' wiU then be that described in Nu 13^'"**. See HoKMAH. A. T. Chapman. ATHENIANS {'kertvaXoi, Ac 17" ; 'kvSpct 'kBrivatoi, 17" AV, KV 'men of Athens').— Inhabitants of Athens. ATHENOBIUS {'A0T,vi^ios, 1 Mac 15«-»), a friend of Antiochus VII. Sidetes. When Antiochus had gained some successes against Tryphon, he sent Athenobius to Jerusalem to remonstrate with Simon Maccab;uus for the occupation of Joppa, Gazara, the citadel of Jerusalem, and certain places ontside Judiea.

Simon was ordered to sur- render his conquests or to pay an indemnity of 1000 talents of silver; but he refused to promise more than 100 talents, and with this answer A. was obliged to return in indignation to the king. H. A. White.