person · P0406

Atalyah עתליה

Daughter of the house of Achav, queen mother of Yehudah, and the only ruler of the kingdom not of David's line. When her son Achazyahu was killed she destroyed the royal seed and reigned six years; one infant, Yoash, was hidden in the Temple, and Yehoyada the priest (Yehoyada) crowned him and had her executed. She carries no parent/child edges here — the usurpation is the visible break in the dynastic chain.

I. Who

Hebrew
עתליה
Also known as
Athaliah
Era
bible

II. When

Traditional
c. 3020–3065 AM (seized the throne 3059–3065, six years)
Academic
reigned c. 841–835 BCE
Lifespan (traditional)
≈45 years
Precision
approximate

III. Where

Places
Jerusalem

V. How do we know

ClaimEvidenceConfidenceSources
When Atalyah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed; only Yoash was stolen away and hidden in the house of God six years, "while Atalyah reigned over the land."
Directly stated in the cited source.
biblical ★★★★★
Hearing the coronation, she came to the Temple, tore her clothes and cried "Treason, treason!"; at Yehoyada's order she was taken out between the ranks and put to death at the horses' entrance of the king's house. biblical ★★★★★
The placement (reigned 3059–3065 AM) is a schematic Mesorah Atlas reconstruction: the regnal years stated in Kings are chained forward from the division of the kingdom in 2964 AM on the traditional (Seder Olam) timeline, with sub-year reigns counted as zero. The cited source states the reign's length, not absolute dates.
The cited sources establish relative chronology or regnal duration; they do not state the absolute AM range.
tradition reconstruction ★★☆☆☆