258 The Legends of the Jews
the house of David for his trespass in connection with the extermination of the priests at Nob. As Abiathar had been the only male descendant of Abimelech to survive the persecution of Saul, so the sole representative of the house of David to remain after the sword of Athaliah had raged T was Joash, the child kept in hiding, in the Holy of Holies in the Temple, by the high priest Jehoiada and his wife Je- hosheba.8 Later Jehoiada vindicated the right of Joash upon the throne, and installed him as king of Judah. The very crown worn by the rulers of the house of David testified to the legitimacy of the young prince, for it possessed the pe- culiarity of fitting none but the rightful successors to David.' At the instigation of Jehoiada. King Joash undertook the restoration of the Temple. The work was completed so ex- peditiously that one living at the time the Temple was erected by Solomon was permitted to see the new structure shortly before his death.1* This good fortune befell Jehoiada u him- self, the son of Benaiah, commander-in-chief of the army under Solomon. So long as Joash continued under the tute- lage of Jehoiada, he was a pious king. When Jehoiada de- parted this life, the courtiers came to Joash and flattered him : " If thou wert not a god, thou hadst not been able to abide for six years in the Holy of Holies, a spot which even the high priest is permitted to enter but once a year." The king lent ear to their blandishments, and permitted the people to pay him Divine homage." But when the folly of the king went to the extreme of prompting him to set up an idol in the Temple, Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, placed himself at the entrance, and barring the way said : " Thou shalt not do it so long as I live."11 High priest, prophet, and judge
