"Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, who exercised a sanguinary dominion over Israel, and both, (more especially Jezebel,) rendered their reign infamous by their worship of idols, and their cruel persecution of prophets. She had been espoused by Jehoram, king of Judah, son of Jehosaphat, and the seventh king of the race of David. His son, Ahaziah, seduced into idolatry, as well as Jehoram, by the example of Athaliah, after a reign of one year was put to death, together with all the princes of the house of Ahab, by Jehu, whom God had anointed by his prophets to reign over Israel, and to be the minister of his vengeance. Athaliah, irritated by the massacre of her family, undertook on her part to exterminate the royal race of David, and accordingly perpetrated the murder of all the children of Ahaziah, her own grandchildren, Joas, at that time an infant in the cradle, alone escaped the fury of her slaughtering sword: he was rescued by Jehosabeth, the half-sister of Ahaziah (being daughter of Jehoram by a different mother), and wife of the high-priest Joad. It is the establishment of this scion of David upon the throne of his ancestors that forms the subject of this drama." CHARACTERS Joas, King of Judah, son of Ochoziah. Athaliah, widow of Joram, Joas's grandmother. Joad, the High-priest Josabet, wife of the High-priest, and Joas's aunt. Zachariah, son of Joad and Josabet. Salomith, Zachariah's sister. Abner, one of the principal officers of the kings of Judah. Azartah, Ishmael, and three other priests and Levite chiefs. Mathan, apostate priest, pontiff of Baal. Nabal, Mathan's confidant. Agar, a woman in Athaliah's suite. Troupes of Levites and priests. Nurse of Joad. Choir, daughters of the tribe of Levi. The Scene is in the Temple of Jerusalem, in a vestibule of the High-priest's apartment. A T H A L I A H. _ACT FIRST.--Scene I._ {JOAD, ABNER.} {ABNER.}