"Ahab"

Ahab (r. 871-852 B.C.E.) – Omri’s luxury-loving son was heavily influenced by his wife Jezebel, and so dedicated himself to Baal-Melqart and Asherah worship. The royal couple killed off the God of Israel’s prophets except for Elijah, who foretold the coming drought. Elijah had Ahab arrange the showdown with the 850 priests of Baal and Asherah atop the Carmel mountain range.

Ahab was a brave warrior who was victorious against King Ben-Hadad II’s Arameans at Samaria and Aphek. Like Saul (who spared Agag of Amalek), Ahab spared the defeated Ben-Hadad in exchange for towns restored to Israel from Aram and trading rights in Damascus. The royal wickedness peaked with Jezebel’s arranging for the killing of Navot the Jezreelite and Ahab’s subsequent expropriation of the deceased’s vineyard, which elicited Elijah’s prophecy of doom for the House of Omri.

Ahab humbled himself and earned himself a reprieve. He fielded 10,000 soldiers and 2,000 chariots against Shalmanesser’s Assyrians in the Battle of Qarqar, but he received a fatal arrow wound in battle against Aram at Ramot-Gilead. In a noble gesture, Ahab had himself propped up in his chariot so as not to lower the morale of his fighters. He died that evening in his bloodstained chariot. When the chariot was rinsed by the pool of Samaria, dogs licked up the king’s blood, as Elijah had prophesied. Ahab was buried in Samaria.