JOASH, or JEHOASH (Heb. " Yahweh is strong, or

See also:

• BATH
• BATH, THOMAS THYNNE
• BATH, WILLIAM

bath given ")  , the name of two kings of Palestine in the Bible . 1 . Son of Ahaziah (see JEHORAM, 2) and king of Judah . He obtained the throne by means of a revolt in which Athaliah (q.v.) perished, and his accession was marked by a solemn covenant, and by the overthrow of the temple of Baal and of its priest Mattan(-Baal) . In this the priest Jehoiada (who must have continued to act as regent) took the leading part . The account of Joash's reign is not from a contemporary source (2 Kings xi . 4 -xii . 16), and 2 Chronicles adds several new details, including a tradition of a conflict between the king and priests after the death of Jehoiada (xxii . Ir; xxiv . 3, 15 sqq.).' At an unstated period, the Aramaeans under Hazael captured Gath, and Jerusalem only escaped by buying off the enemy (2 Kings xii . 17 sqq.) . This may perhaps be associated with the Aramaean attacks upon Israel (2 below), but the tradition recorded in 2 Chron. xxiv .

23 seq. differs widely and cannot be wholly rejected . The king perished in a

conspiracy, the origin of which is not clear; it may have been for his attack upon the priests, it was scarcely for the course he took to save Jerusalem . He was succeeded by his son Amaziah, whose moderation in avenging his father's death receives special mention . After defeating the Edomites, Amaziah turned his attention to Israel . 2 . Son of Jehoahaz and king of Israel . Like his grandfather Jehu, he enjoyed the favour of the prophet Elisha, who promised him a triple defeat of the Aramaeans at Aphek (2 Kings xiii . 14 sqq . 22-25) . The cities which had been taken from his father by Hazael the father of Ben-hadad were recovered (cf . 1 Kings xx . 34, time of Ahab) and the relief gained by Israel from the previous blows of Syria prepared the way for its speedy extension of power .

When challenged by Amaziah of Judah, Joash uttered the famous

fable of the thistle and cedar (for another example see Judg. ix . 8-15; see also ABIMELECH), and a battle was fought at Beth-shemesh, in which Israel was completely successful . An obscure statement in 2 Chron. xxv . 13 would show that this was not the only conflict; at all events, Amaziah was captured, the fortifications of Jerusalem were partially destroyed, the treasures of the Temple and palace were looted, and hostages were carried away to Samaria . According to one statement, Amaziah survived the disaster fifteen years, and lost his life in a conspiracy; but there is a gap in the history of Judah which the narratives do not enable us to fill (r Kings xv . 1; see xiv . 17, 23) . See further UZZIAH; JEROBOAM (2); and JEWS . (S . A .