Twilight for Samaria 11:1–17:41: Ahaziah, we recall, was related by marriage to the house of Ahab and was assassinated by Jehu. Attention now turns to the southern kingdom (11:1–3), where Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah assumes power by destroying “the whole royal family.” Jehu has just purged the house of Ahab; now Athaliah (the daughter of Ahab and probably Jezebel) purges her own house. But the violent actions of one woman are counteracted by the resourceful actions of another (the otherwise unmentioned Jehosheba), and the fact that a young son (Joash) is hidden away in the temple precincts suggest a pocket of faithfulness within the inner circle of Judean leadership.

The anti-Athaliah conspiracy (11:4–16) reaches its zenith after …