You are strongly recommended to add to your library the excellent revised edition of Harper's Bible Dictionary titled, The Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, Revised Edition [book review], edited by Paul J. Achtemeier, with the Society of Biblical Literature (NY: Harper Collins, 1996). It is currently the best one-volume Bible dictionary in English, and it is available at Border's Books, Christian Science Reading Rooms, http://www.borders.com, or http://www.christianbook.com.

Athaliah (Heb., ‘Jah is strong’), the only ruling queen of Judah. She was the daughter of Jezebel and Ahab of Israel, and the wife of Jehoram, king of Judah (ca. 849-843 b.c.). She ruled (ca. 843-837 b.c.) upon the death of Ahaziah at the hands of Jehu (2 Kings 9:29). She instigated a purge of the male heirs. After six years, Jehoida, one of the priests, mounted a successful coup by producing Joash, a male who escaped the purge, and Athaliah was murdered (2 Kings 11:1-20).