Jehoiada (High Priest)

Jehoiada was High Priest in Jerusalem when Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, seized the throne of Judah in −841 and had the royal family killed. His wife Jehosheba, sister of the dead king Ahaziah, rescued the infant Joash and hid him in the Temple for six years (2 Chronicles 22:11). In the seventh year Jehoiada made a pact with the commanders of the royal guard, armed them with King David's spears and shields kept in the Temple, and brought out the boy, crowned and anointed him. Athaliah, crying "Treason!", was led out and killed at the Horse Gate; the temple of Baal was torn down (2 Kings 11). He guided the young Joash and set a chest with a hole in its lid beside the altar to collect money for repairing the Temple (2 Kings 12).

2 Chronicles 24 says he died at 130 and was buried among the kings in the City of David, an honour no other priest received. After his death Joash turned to idols and had Jehoiada's son, the prophet Zechariah, stoned in the Temple court.