Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter of King Omri of Israel.

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she was determined to destroy the entire royal line.

So Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Ahaziah's son Joash and sneaked him away from the rest of the royal descendants who were to be executed. She hid him and his nurse in the room where the bed covers were stored. So he was hidden from Athaliah and escaped execution.

He hid out with his nurse in the Lord's temple for six years, while Athaliah was ruling over the land.

When Athaliah heard the royal guard shout, she joined the crowd at the Lord's temple.

Then she saw the king standing by the pillar, according to custom. The officers stood beside the king with their trumpets and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, "Treason, treason!"

All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah with the sword in the royal palace.