market place.

Then he was awakened out of the stupor in which he had left his home
by cries, coming from several directions:

"Shallum!"

"Long live the king!"

"Long life to Shallum!"

Shallum? Who was Shallum? Why was the name being shouted in the
streets of Samaria?

Hosea, trying to find his bearings, was asking himself these questions
when he arrived in the market place.

There an unusual and most unexpected sight met him. The place was
filled with people. Troops were fighting in front of the royal palace.
From the palace, which was brightly illuminated, soldiers and plain
citizens were pouring forth in a stream. Above the shrieking of men
and women and the clang of contending arms, he heard enthusiastic
shouts:

"King Zechariah is dead! Long live King Shallum!"

What? Zechariah dead!

In a flash the whole situation was made clear to Hosea. Now he recalled
that down at Bethel, the king's sanctuary, someone had spoken to him of