Writer’s Diary September 2020

Two points about the story of Athaliah and Joash that I had failed to get right earlier, but was reading over again and was able to straighten out:

Jehoiada died at some time in Joash’s reign, but we don’t know when except that it was after the 23rd year (2 Kings 12:6-7). This makes it likely that he died between the 24th and 35th years of Joash’s reign.

When Jehosheba took Joash from among the princes that were about to be killed, he was put into “the bedroom” with his nurse (2 Kings 11:2). This suggests to me a bedroom in the palace near where the princes were being killed. Jehosheba seems to have taken the child and then put him and his nurse into the bedroom before the slaughter began. Afterwards, she managed to smuggle them into the temple. Very brave actions on the part of both Jehosheba and the nurse since I have no doubt that Athaliah would have killed them both if she had discovered their subterfuge.