Jehoiada

Jehoiada from "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum "

Part of a series of articles on
Priesthood in Judaism
Kohen · Recognition of priestly descent Priestly covenant
Roles Priestly blessing · Redemption of the firstborn son Tzaraath (skin disease and mildew) The Torah instruction of the Kohanim Sacrifice · Incense offering Beth din shel Kohanim Priestly divisions
High Priests Aaron · Eleazar · Phinehas  · Eli · Ahimelech · Abiathar (First Temple)  · Zadok · Shallum · Hilkiah · Jehoiada (Second Temple) Joshua the High Priest Simeon the Just Yishmael Ben Elisha Yehoshua ben Gamla Pinchus Ben Shmuel
Twenty-four kohanic gifts The ten gifts given in the Temple 1. Sin offering  · 2. Guilt offering 3. Communal peace offering 4. Fowl sin offering  · 5. Leftovers from the suspensive guilt offering 6. Oil from the offering for the leper 7. Bread from First Fruits · 8. Showbread 9. Leftovers of the meal offering 10. Leftovers of the First Sheaf. Four gifts given in Jerusalem 11. Firstborn animal · 12. Firstfruits 13. Burnt offering (Judaism) · 14. Parts of the thank offering and Nazirite's offering Ten gifts given (even) outside of Jerusalem 15. Heave offering 16. Heave offering of the Levite's tithe 17. Dough offering 18. First shearing of the sheep 19. Shoulder, cheeks and maw 20. Coins for redemption of the first born son · 21. Redemption of a donkey  · 22. Dedication of property to a priest  · 23. Field not redeemed in a Jubilee year · 24. The property of the foreigner with no heir.
Priestly Garments Priestly undergarments Priestly tunic Priestly turban · Priestly robe (Judaism) Ephod · Priestly breastplate · Priestly frontlet Urim and Thummim Priestly sash
Miscellaneous topics The Mitzvah of sanctifying the Kohen Kohanic disqualifications Holy anointing oil Kahen Aaron's rod Bat-Kohen (daughter of a kohen) Sons of Zadok Contact by a kohen with a dead body 13 Kohanic cities

Jehoiada (Hebrew Yehoyada Hebrew: יהוידע‎‎) in the Hebrew Bible, was a prominent priest during the reigns of Ahaziah, Athaliah, and Joash. Jehoiada became the brother-in-law of King Ahaziah as a result of his marriage with princess Jehosheba.^[1] Both Jehosheba and Ahaziah were children of King Jehoram of Judah. Ahaziah died a year after assuming the throne, which was then usurped by his mother Athaliah, who ordered the execution of all members of the royal family.

Jehosheba and Jehoiada rescued from Athaliah's slaughter, Athaliah's one-year-old grandson, Joash. For six years, they hid the sole surviving heir to the throne within the Temple. Jehoiada was instrumental in the staging of the coup that dethroned and killed Athaliah. Under Jehoiada's guidance, Baal-worship was renounced and the altar and temple of Baal were destroyed.^[1]

Jehoiada is also noteworthy for the national covenant that he made "between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD's people" (2 Chronicles 23:16). Jehoiada lived 130 years and was buried very honorably among the kings in the city of David.^[1] Jehoiada's son, Zechariah, was later martyred by King Joash.

Priest or High priest?

Jehoiada's name does not appear in the list of the Zadokite dynasty in 1 Chronicles 5:30-40 (6:4-15 in other translations).

Josephus mentions Jehoiada as "high priest in his Jewish Antiquites Book 9, Chapter 7,"^[2] "How Athaliah reigned over Jerusalem for five [six] years, when Jehoiada the high priest slew her." However, Josephus does not mention a Jehoiada in his list of High Priests (Antiquities of the Jews 10:151-153).

According to the medieval chronicle Seder Olam Zutta (804 CE), Jehoiada was a High priest.

References

3. Bench, Clayton H. The Coup of Jehoiada and the Fall of Athaliah: The Discourses and Textual Production of 2 Kings 11. Piscataway: Gorgias Press, 2016.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Jehoiada". Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.