Jehoiada the priest knew his plan could be seen as treason (2 Kings 11:14). He also did not fully trust the men he wanted to join him. Before he revealed the existence of Joash, the rightful heir to Judah’s throne, he required them to swear an oath of loyalty. These men went to the towns of Judah and brought the Levites and family leaders to the temple in Jerusalem, where they made a covenant with Joash (2 Chronicles 23:3).
The Carite mercenaries came from the Aegean region. They served as the king’s bodyguards (2 Samuel 20:23).