REIGN OF AHAB 872-851 BCE

ReligionProphecyPeace with JudahWar with Aram

Religion

Baal and Ashera

Baal and Ashera

Ahab worshiped the imported idols Baal and Ashera

Jezebel imported the cults to Israel from Tyre

Unlike other Kings of Israel Ahab attempted to abandon Judaism in favor of these idols

He wanted to undo our connection with Hashem

Historians have trouble believing in such a radical break from traditional values and minimize the dispute

According to them Ahab and the Israelite aristocracy were advocating an open form of worship with Hashem being just one of many powers Elijah fought for exclusive worship of Hashem

Prophesy

Elijah & Other Prophets

View from top of Mount Carmel looking over the Jezreel Valley

Elijah decrees drought on Israel in response to Ahab’s institutionalizing Baal worship

Ahab and his wife attempt to kill all prophets in Israel

Ovadya, who is Ahab’s steward saves 100 prophets in a cave

Has a test with the prophets of the Baal on Har Hacarmel

Rebukes Ahab for his conspiracy to steal the land of Nabboth from Jezreel through a fake trial

Other prophets are called to give messages to Ahab in time of war to let him know that Hashem is behind Ahab’s defeat of the Arameans

Prophecy

DevelopmentFrom Shofet

◦ Deborah

◦ Shmuel transition to monarchy

To Royal Advisor◦ Nathan and Gad

To Critique of the Kings◦ Elijah

◦ Elisha

◦ Both of whom first rebuke the Kings for Syncretistic worship

◦ Secondarily for inhumane treatment of their subjects

Later focus on social ills◦ Amos

◦ Isaiah

Prophecy of Destruction◦ Jeremiah

Prophecy of the Exile◦ Ezekiel

Prophecy of Rebuilding◦ Zachariah

Peace Between Israel and Judah

Jehoshaphat (870-846 BCE) Results of the Peace Was the Son of Asa and

became King of Judah Made peace with Israel

and is found fighting alongside of Ahab in his wars with Damascus and with Ahab’s son Jehoram in his war against Moab

He arraigned Ahab’s daughter Athaliah to marry his son Jehoram

(things become confusing when the king of Israel and the king of Judah have the same name. Sorry not my fault)

In spite of being called a צדיק by the Navi who tried but failed to removed the Baamos and tried to teach Torah to the nation

Judah still suffer losses because of the alliance with Israel

Loss of Edom◦ During Jehoshaphat’s lifetime Judah

ruled over Edom

◦ In his son’s reign they rebelled and Judah lost the territory

Loss of freedom in becoming a vassal of the kingdom of Israel

His new daughter-in-law Athaliah eventually kill almost all of his decedents and institutionalizes Baal and Ashera cults in Judah

Attempted an expedition from the Red Sea which failed

War Between Aram-Damascus and Israel

First Battle Second BattleBen-Hadad threatens

the independence of Israel and demands a very high tribute

Ahab is assured by the prophet that he would win and should use the victory as sign to repent because the war is not over

Ahab does not repent and after

Ben-Hadad returns the next year and says that Hashem is only powerful in the mountains so they decide to fight on the plain

A Navi reports to Ahab that since he has not repented he should lose the battle but since an Israelite loss would mean that Ben-Hadad’s blasphemy is true Ahab will win

Ahab wins and has the Ben-Hadad trapped but when Ben-Hadad surrenders treats him as an equal and makes a treaty

War Between Aram-Damascus and Israel

Final Battle The incident with Nabboth from

Jezreel Elijah goes to Ahab and tells him

that he will be killed by the king of Aram and that in two generations his dynasty would be killed off

Ahab repents – at least in public After a three year peace Ahab

decides to take Ramoth-Gilead from Aram

He and Jehoshaphat of Judah attack Aram and Ahab is killed in battle

The Israelites lose the battle and are weakened by the loss

RISE OF ASSYRIA

Ashurnasirpal IIShalamaneser III

Rise of Assyria

Ashurnasirpal II (854-859 BCE) Shalmaneser III (859-824 BCE)

Contemporary of Omri Built up the Army Pillaged for wealth not

territory Conquered upper

Mesopotamia and Northern Syria as far as the northern Phoenician coast

He conquered and was forced to leave either to put down a revolt or to attack elsewhere

Began to campaign annually in the Levant

Subjugated a Kingdom known as Bit Adini

12 States in the Levant formed a coalition to hold off Assyria

This included Ahab of Israel and Haddezer of Damascus

According to Shalmaneser’s records Ahab provided 2,000, chariots and 10,000 Infantry

The largest contingent of chariots in the coalition

Ahab and the coalition held off Assyria in the battle of Qarqar

The temporary alliance between Damascus and Israel would account for the three years of peace and the defeat of Shalmaneser would account for the renewed hostilities between them

Map of Assyrian Campaigns in the Levant

Shalmaneser III

AHAZIAH, SON OF AHAB, KING OF ISRAEL850-851 BCE

How to be forgotten by history

Ahazia

How to be forgotten by history

Ahab’s Palace in Samaria

After Ahab’s death his oldest son Ahaziah becomes king

He falls through a lattice in a window or a railing from a wall and gets injured

He turns to Baal Zebub to find out his fate

His messengers meet up with Elijah who burns them up until they are polite

Elijah then says Ahaziah will die and he does

Reigned less than 2 years

JEHORAM, SON OF AHAB, KING OF ISRAEL850-841 BCE

War with Moab

War with Moab

Coalition

Mesha Stele

Moab had been a vassal of Israel from the time Omri but since the death of Ahab stopped paying tribute

Jehoram, gathered a coalition to retake Moab

Jehoshaphat of Judah and the King of Edom joined

This again shows the more powerful and rich Israel exercising control over the smaller and weaker kingdoms of Israel and its vassal of Edom

War with Moab

The Shocking Conclusion

Jane Taylor/Sonia Halliday PhotographsA 12th-century Crusader castle perches atop a 2,500 foot-long plateau in central Jordan, once the site of Kir-hareseth, the ancient capital of Moab. Isolated by a 300-foot-deep valley, this location, today modern Kerak, has been a strategic military stronghold throughout much of history.

Nearly 2,000 years before the Crusader castle was built, allied Hebrew-Edomite armies surrounded the badly beaten Moabite army after its retreat to Kirhareseth. According to the account in 2 Kings 3:26–27, the desperate Moabite king Mesha scarified his oldest son as a burnt offering on top of the city wall, in full view of the conquering armies. After this dramatic death, for reasons not clarified in the Biblical account, the Hebrews and the Edomites returned home without taking the city.Horn, Siegfried H. “Why the Moabite Stone Was Blown to Pieces.” Biblical Archaeology Review, May/Jun 1986, 50-59, 61

The coalition attacks Moab

They get stuck in the desert with no water

Elisha promises water because of the righteousness of Jehoshaphat

The coalition defeats Moab and are about to take the city when Mesha the king of Moab scarifies’ his own son to their "ז and the Israelite עcoalition disbands

THE REIGN OF JEHORAM, SON OF

JEHOSHAPHAT, KING OF JUDAH & AHAZIAH

SON OF JEHORAM JEHORAM – 846-841BCE

AHAZIAH 841BCE

Jehoram of Judah

Israel and Judah He continued the relationship

that his father had with Israel He send aid and assistance to

Israel when in need He was married to Athalia the

daughter of Ahab and Jezebel During his time Edom revolted

and was lost to Judah This is a critical loss of control of

the “King’s Highway” trade route it was now controlled by Edom and Moab who were under the control of Aram-Damascus

He died and his son Ahaziah rules Judah for a few months until Jehu’s revolt

BACK TO JEHORAM OF ISRAEL & THE WAR WITH ARAM DAMASCUS

War with Aram-DamascusPhase OnePhase TwoPhase Three Final Phase

Coup d'états

War with Aram Damascus

First Phase

Horses and Chariots of Fire (Very Scary)

Naaman visits Elisha Elisha reveals Aram’s ambush Aram seeks to capture him Elisha prays and the

Arameans see an army with horses and chariots of fire

Then Elisha smites the Arameans with blindness

Then leads the Aramean army to Samaria

Jehoram is shocked to see them and at Elisha’s request feeds the army and sends them home

War with Aram Damascus

Second Phase Phase Three

Ben-Hadad laid siege on Samaria

A report of cannibalism causes Jehoram to break down and blames Elisha

The incident of the four metzoraim and the miraculous abandonment of the Aramean camp

Ben-Hadad king of Damascus falls ill

Elisha is sent by Hashem to Ben-Hadad

Hazael one of Ben-Hadad’s generals greets Elisha who predicts that Hazael would kill Ben-Hadad and rule in his place

Hazael kills Ben-Hadad and became king of Damascus

Jehoram of Judah does evil like his father in law Ahab

But Hashem did not want to destroy Judah because of his love of David

War with Aram Damascus

War with Aram Damascus

Final Phase

Importance of Ramoth Gilead

Hazael is on the throne of Damascus

It could be that Israel thought that Aram-Damascus was weak from the coup

Israel decided to attack Aram at Ramoth Gilead

King Ahaziah join Israel Ramoth Gilead was a

strategically important area controlling the King’s Highway

Coup D'états

Jehu’s Coup Elisha sends a Navi to anoint Jehu

king of Israel In the Battle fro Ramoth Gilead

Jehoram king of Israel was wounded

Both he and Ahazia of Judah return to the city of Jezreel to recuperate

Jehu is left as the officer in charge at the front

Soon Jehu’s men proclaim him king Jehu moves on Jezreel where he

killed Jehoram and Ahazia as well at all of Jehoram’s family and Jezebel, Jehoram’s mother and Ahazia’s grand-mother

Coup D'états

Why? Support of Elisha and the

prophets is indicative of popular hatred of the syncretistic ruling dynasty of the House of Omri

Economic/ class hatred to the ruling upper class from the rural agricultural class

Alliance with Assyria◦ The enemy of my enemy is

my friend

◦ The state who is on the other side of my enemy is my friend

◦ Jehu killed all the family of Ahab and those who sided with Aram in there coalition to war with Assyria

Results of the Coup

Israel Loses because of the Coup

Shalmaneser III dies a year after Jehu’s coup

After his death Shamshi-Adad V (824-811BCE) becomes king

He has to deal with “the Great Revolt” in Ninveh

Assyria is too weak to project power all the way to Southern Syria until 805BCE

A weak Assyria causes Aram to becomes stronger

Aram-Damascus takes Transjordan from Israel

QUEEN ATHALIA 841-835 BCE

After the CoupJehoiada

After the Coup

Consolidating Power

Archeologist Yigal Yadin believed that Ramat Rachel was the house of Baal that Athaliah built

Athaliah mother of Ahazia Daughter of Ahab and Jezebel

Slaughters all the rest of her family to allow her to rule independently

She rules for 6 years on her own as a Queen

She institutes Baal worship in Jerusalem

Jehoiada

Saving the line of David

Jehoiada hid Jehoash in an upper floor of the Beis Hamikdash

Jehosheba sister of king Ahaziah saved baby Jehoash

Brought him to Jehoiada who kept him safe in an upper chamber in the Beis Hamikdash until he was seven years old

Jehoiada brought out the boy king Jehoash in the Beis Hamikdash to the cheers of the crowd

When Athaliah walked into the Beis Hamikdash people dragged her out and killed her

The common person was loyal to Hashem, and resented the rule of foreign Queen with her foreign "ז ע

REIGN OF JEHOASH OF JUDAH835 – 801 BCE

Relationship between Jehoash and Jehoiada

Relationship between Jehoash and Jehoiada

Rebuilds the Beis Hamikdash After Jehoiada’s Death

Jehoash grows and decides to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash

He sends out the Kohanim to collect the funds

This was demeaning to the Kohanim and unsuccessful in raising funds

He asks for donations using a pushka in the Beis Hamikdash and is very successful

Divrei Hayamim 2 24:17 After Jehoiada died, Jehoash fell

under the influence of the Princes שרי of Judah

The king stopped the construction of the Beis Hamikdash and started worshiping Baal and Ashera

Jehoiada’s son Zecharia protested, on Yom Kippur and Shabbos that people were worshiping idols and not Hashem

He was stoned to death in the Bies Hamikdash at the command of the king