Succession to the Throne

This book unfolds the narrative intricacies in 2 Kings 11: The Narrative of Ataliah, the only queen in Judah. The synchronic analysis, which uses particularly narratological approaches, highlights the narrative techniques of the text. Diachronic analysis attempts to answer the inconsistencies of the text through textual and redactional criticism, identifies the special interests of the Deuteronomistic and Priestly redactions that interact in the final text. An intertextual analysis unfolds its meaning in relation to other biblical texts such as the birth narrative of Moses, the succession narrative of Solomon, the revolt and purge of Jehu, the reformation of Josiah, the parallel account of Chronicles, and the Book of Esther. Their findings enable the study to explain the complexities found in 2 Kings 11 and thereupon propose a new reconstruction model for the origin of the text.