Athaliah

(ath-ah-li'ah,) queen of Judah, was a daughter of Ahab, king of Israel, and of Jezebel. She was married to Jeroboam, king of Judah, was a zealous patron of idolatry, usurped the throne at the death of her son Ahaziah, and murdered all the males of the royal family except Joash, by whose adherents she was killed, abt. 878 B. c. On her story Racine has written his best tragedy. [s. 56]