178 Amzallag Biblical Interpretation 24 (2016) 178-202 © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2016 | doi 10.1163/15685152-00242p03 Biblical Interpretation 24 (2016) 178-202 ISSN 0927-2569 (print version) ISSN 1568-5152 (online version) BI 2 brill.com/bi The Subversive Dimension of the Story of Jehoshaphat’s War against the Nations (2 Chron. 20:1–30) Nissim Amzallag Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel nissamz@post.bgu.ac.il Abstract The miraculous victory of Jehoshaphat and the Judeans in the conflict against Moab, Ammon, and Edom (2 Chron. 20:1–30) displays all the characteristics of a holy war, but the active involvement of Yhwh, the main component expected in such a narrative, is skillfully muted and the circumstances leading to the victory remain evasive. The pres- ent analysis reveals that the Chronicler disguised the narrative as a holy war story in order to conceal the subversive message in a subliminal layer of meaning. In this way, the Chronicler reveals that the victory of the Judeans over their enemies was reached through the transgression of Yahwistic taboos. These findings reveal the existence, in the Chronicles, of a subversive dimension especially turned against Jehoshaphat. They account for a disagreement between the Chronicler and the opinion of potential read- ers concerning the reign of this king. The possible origin for the Chronicler’s singular attitude is discussed. Keywords Jehoshaphat – holy war – concealed subversion – Judah-Edom kinship – non-Israelite Yahwism Introduction Jehoshaphat is one of the four Judean kings (together with David, Solomon, and Hezekiah) benefitting from an extended biography in the book of A Journal of Contemporary Approaches