{"id":63827,"date":"2019-10-02T18:18:13","date_gmt":"2019-10-02T15:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=63827"},"modified":"2023-04-27T16:43:47","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T13:43:47","slug":"the-wicked-queen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-wicked-queen\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wicked Queen"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[460,908],"acf":{"old_id":"63827","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33692,"related_cahpter":"320","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Trying to understand Athaliah\u2019s murderous behavior","content":"

Athaliah’s position as queen is inherently illegitimate, as the throne of Judah can be occupied by the line of King David only (see II Kings 8:19). This violation is expressed in the narrator’s omission of a formulaic regnal summary; the daughter of Jezebel may administrate the kingdom, but her name will never be recorded in the roster of Judahite kings. Athaliah’s behavior bears witness to the corrupting influences of the northern kingdom, such as the execution of the deposed royal line and the adoption of Baal worship \u2014 norms that have now seeped into the political culture of Judah.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike Jehu’s revolution in Israel, Athaliah’s motive in massacring her own family is inexplicit. Why did she do it? Is it because if her son cannot rule, no other person from the Davidic line may rule either? Is it because, as sole remaining member of the house of Ahab, she seeks to preserve her dynastic legacy in Judah?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The killing of her children suggests an absolute, tyrannical desire to govern, sweeping away even the primal instinct of motherhood: Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz suggests an almost pathological hunger for power: \u201cAthaliah, like Jezebel, was not just a strong personality but a woman who yearned to rule…. Her passion was simply for power itself, and this drive of hers was so strong that it caused her to carry out a series of extreme acts….She did not even make any serious political or religious changes within the country. She became simply a manifestation of this one drive: to rule.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She is the sole female biblical figure to be awarded the moniker: “the Wicked” – hamirshaat<\/em> (II Chr. 24:7). Some commentators assign Athaliah less pathological motives. Yehuda Kiel dwells upon her political motivations:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, learned that her son was dead” \u2014 slain by Jehu. She was concerned that Jehu would co-opt and annex the kingdom of Judah to his kingdom, and would execute her since she was from the house of Ahab…. Thus she decided on her course of action. The construction of the temple of Baal in Jerusalem had national-economic significance beyond its religious import; the builders sought to establish the historic ties of the kings of Israel with the kings of Tyre.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But we do not need to select one reading over the other. As with today’s realpolitik, even the most despotic and murderous leaders may combine malicious ambition with a sophisticated political strategy; both approaches may be true at the same time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alex Israel, II Kings: In a Whirlwind<\/em>, Maggid Books, 2019, A Murderous Queen\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":63310,"id":63310,"title":"Alex Israel - 2_kings_cover","filename":"Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-hairy-prophet\/alex-israel-2_kings_cover\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"alex-israel-2_kings_cover","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":63117,"date":"2019-09-23 13:43:41","modified":"2019-09-23 13:53:01","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1711,"height":1821,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-282x300.jpg","medium-width":282,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-768x817.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":817,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-962x1024.jpg","large-width":962,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1443,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1711,"2048x2048-height":1821,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-1128x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1128,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alex-Israel-2_kings_cover-395x420.jpg","home_baner-width":395,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"Excerpts from: II Kings - 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