INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA: The palace being cleared of its royal occupants, Athaliah had herself proclaimed sovereign. No other woman, before or since, sat upon the throne of David, and it is a proof of her energy and ability that, in spite of her sex, she was able to keep it
JEWISH VIRTUAL LIBRARY: Athaliah's marriage to *Jehoram (Joram), crown prince of Judah, sealed the alliance between Israel and Judah.
ATHALYA BRENNER: Queen Athaliah is the only woman in the Hebrew Bible reported as having reigned as a monarch within Israel/Judah. The biblical evaluation of her rule is negative. However, that she managed to sustain her reign for six years can be attributed to her successful use of various sources of power: her royal origins and connections, involvement in her husband’s and son’s reigns, economic independence, personal ability, and political knowledge—all of which are not mentioned, apart from notes on her wicked influence on her husband and son.
TAMAR KADARI: During the six years of her reign, Athaliah, who was wicked, wielded great influence over the Temple rite and the spiritual state of the people.
JACOB ISAACS: Possessed of an iron will and complete ruthlessness, she succeeded in suppressing all attempts of revolt by the true believers in G‑d, the common people and the priests. She was supported by the large clique of Phoenicians who had been given key positions during the reign of her husband and son. Thus she controlled all important phases of public life.
WIKIPEDIA: Jehoash (Hebrew: יְהֹואָשׁ, Yəhôʾāš, “Jehovah-given”) or Joás (Hebrew: יֹואָשׁ, Yôʾāš) was the eighth king of Judah and the sole surviving son of Ahaziah after the massacre of the Royal Family ordered by his Grandmother, Athaliah. Jehoash was 7 years old when his reign began and he reigned for 40 years. The Gospel of Matthew does not list Jehoash of Judah in the genealogy of Jesus, Jehoash being one of four kings of Judah so omitted, the other three being Ahaziah, Amaziah, and Jehoiakim.
NEW WORLD ENCYCLOPEDIA: Although the rest of the house of Ahab had been wiped out by Jehu, Athaliah's royal Davidic lineage survived until the Babylonian exile and beyond. In Christian tradition, though it is rarely mentioned, she is one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ. However, in the biblical tradition she is surpassed only by her mother Jezebel as a woman of evil.
CLAUDE MARIOTTINI: Jezebel enters Jesus’ family line because of her direct relationship with Athaliah. Jezebel was the grandmother of Ahaziah, Athaliah’s son.
PINCHAS LANDIS: Ya’akov Avinu (Jacob) promised Yehudah that the scepter of leadership would not be removed from his tribe until Moshiach comes, and our story indeed accords with this prophecy. The heroine who brought Yaakov’s blessing to fruition at this time was actually Asalyah’s own daughter Yehosheva! She conspired with her husband Yehoyada, the Kohen Gadol, to hide the youngest descendant of King David, Yehoash. The prince was only one year old at the time.
