The Coup of Jehoiada and the Fall of Athaliah: The Discourses and Textual Production of 2 Kings 11

• Author / Creator

  Bench, Clayton H.

• The general purpose of this study is to explore the discourses that guided and constrained the textual production and reproduction of 2 Kings 11, the report of Jehoiada’s coup and Athaliah’s execution. The specific aim of this study is to determine how and why Athaliah’s execution was not incorporated into the Deuteronomistic History the same way that other Ahabite death reports were incorporated into it. In 1 Kings 14-2 Kings 10, there is a fairly consistent literary framework composed of prophetic oracles against Israelite kings, conspiracy/coup reports, and oracle fulfillment reports. However, in 2 Kings 11, Athaliah’s execution is not reported along with an oracle fulfillment report as was the case with other Ahabite death reports. Approaching 2 Kings 11 from a discourse critical perspective shows that the Jehoiada’s coup and Athaliah’s execution were not initially a part of the Deuteronomistic History; rather, 2 Kings 11 was initially produced as a basic coup report. As can be seen from an analysis of the interdiscursivity and intertextuality of 2 Kings 11, once this text was finally incorporated into the deuteronomist’s historical framework, 2 Kings 11 was successively redacted and reproduced in Late Monarchic Judah and Persian Period Yehud. The discourses that guided and constrained this process of production and reproduction were concerned with Joash’s dynastic legitimacy and the legitimacy of the Jerusalem-centered Yahweh cult. As a result, Athaliah’s Israelite heritage and her short period of rule in Jerusalem had to be delegitimized. Those producing and reproducing the text within this discursive framework attempted to mystify Athaliah’s genealogy. They also reported her reign outside of the normal formulaic regnal structure so as to skip and delegitimize her reign. In doing so, the connection between Ahaziah and his son, Joash, was strengthened creating a sense of continuity between the two, an important element of Davidic royal ideology. This study shows that the discourses that influenced the production and reproduction of 2 Kings 11 were Judahite-centered discourses concerned with retelling Judah’s history within an oracular framework. Nathan’s oracle to David (2 Samuel 7) and the prophetic oracles against Israelite kings in 1 Kings 14-2 Kings 10 played a central role in determining how Jehoiada’s coup and Athaliah’s execution would be reported as compared to other coups and death reports in 1 Kings 14-2 Kings 10.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • 1 Kings 22
  • Norman Fairclough
  • Elijah
  • 1 Kings 12
  • Genealogy
  • Oracle
  • 2 Chronicles 22-23
  • Hebrew Bible
  • Jehoash
  • Coup
  • 2 Kings 10
  • Jehoiada
  • 1 Kings 14
  • Discourse Analysis
  • 1 Kings 21
  • Politics of Descent
  • 2 Kings 12
  • Revolution
  • 2 Kings 11
  • 1 Kings 11
  • Athaliah
  • Ahabites
  • Joash
  • Ahab
  • Ahijah
  • 1 Kings 15
  • 2 Samuel 7
  • 2 Kings 9

• Graduation date

  Fall 2014

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3W950W7Z

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.