- 14-
- Minor difficulties call only for briefest explanation. The gate Sur, at which, according
to 2 Kings 11:6, one post was placed, is evidently the same as "the gate Yesod"
("foundation-gate ")of 2 Chronicles 23:5. The more common explanation, that Sur is only
a clerical error for Yesod (the y dropped out, and r for d ), is not satisfactory, and the
error may lie in Chronicles rather than Kings. The LXX. does not here help us. The
Rabbis hold that it was an eastern gate, and bore seven different names, two of them
being Sur and Yesod. The latter may be true, although no serious value attaches to their
archaeological notices. From the circumstance that one object of the guard was to watch
the approaches from the palace to the Temple, we infer that the gate Sur, possibly also
called Yesod (perhaps it marked the site of the foundation-stone), was, as the word
implies, "the gate of declining," a side-entrance into the palace; while "the gate of," or
"behind," "the runners," formed the ordinary and principal entrance from the palace into
the Temple.
The plan of Jehoiada and the leaders of the rising - or, as we may say, of the national
party - was carried out in every particular. It is indicative of the general opposition to the
new regime, as well as of the unpopularity of the queen, that the secret of the
confederacy, although shared by so many, remained unknown to Athaliah. At the same
time we must remember that they had bound themselves by an oath, on the keeping of
which success depended that the priesthood was entirely under the control of its official
chief; and that probably only a short time intervened between the league in the Temple (2
Kings 11:4; 2 Chronicles 23:3) and the execution of the plan agreed upon.
On the day appointed, both the military and the Levites were at their posts. The youthful
king, who had been presented to the leaders at their first meeting in the Temple (2 Kings
11:4), was now formally introduced. Then the crown and the "testimony" were put upon
him - the latter ceremony probably consisting in placing in his hands, rather than (as
some have suggested) on his head, a copy of the Law, whether that referring to the duties
of the king (Deuteronomy 17:18-20), or, more probably, the Law in a wider sense. Lastly,
since the regular succession had been broken by the intrusion of Athaliah,* the new
monarch was anointed by Jehoiada and his sons, when, as was the custom, the people
broke into demonstrations of joy, clapping their hands, and shouting, "Long live the
king!"
- The Talmud (Horay. 11b.) assigns this as the reason, since ordinarily the kings in
regular descent from David were not anointed. On similar grounds the Talmud accounts
for the anointing of Solomon and of Jehoahaz.
However closely the secret had hitherto been kept, the acclamations of the guards and the
people were heard in the palace, and the queen rushed into the Temple. Her access to it
was not hindered by the military stationed in the palace, although (according to Josephus)
her immediate bodyguard were prevented by the priests from following her into the
Sanctuary. The sight which now met her eyes must at once have revealed to her the state
(^)