Mitchell C. Retellings and Agency in Chronicles: The Case of Jehoshabeath (2 Chr 22:10-12)

Conference paper, SBL Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, November 2016.The motif of the endangered infant is found across a wide variety of eastern Mediterranean cultures (e.g., Sargon of Agade, Cyrus, Moses, Jesus). The story of Joash’s rescue by Jehoshabeath in 2 Chr 22:10-12 (= 2 Kgs 11:1-3) is an abbreviated version of the motif. This paper explores the gendered dynamics of the story as it is retold in Chronicles. The paper suggests that Chr’s version is consistent with the reduction of feminine agency and male appropriation of the maternal role seen in other parts of Chr.