Ahab
Ahab (/ˈeɪhæb/; Hebrew: אַחְאָב, Modern: ʾAḥʾav, Tiberian: ʾAḥʾāḇ; Akkadian: 𒀀𒄩𒀊𒁍 Aḫâbbu; Koinē Greek: Ἀχαάβ Achaáb; Latin: Achab) was the son and successor of King Omri and the husband of Jezebel of Sidon, according to the Hebrew Bible. He was widely criticized for causing "moral decline" in Israel, according to the Yahwists. But modern scholars argue that Ahab was a Yahwist and introduced his god to the Kingdom of Judah via imperialism. This mostly occurred in the latter half of his reign.
| Ahab | |
|---|---|
from Promptuarium Iconum Insigniorum | |
| King of Northern Israel | |
| Reign | c. 874 – c. 853 BC |
| Predecessor | Omri |
| Successor | Ahaziah |
| Died | c. 853 BC Ramoth-Gilead, Syria |
| Burial | Samaria, Kingdom of Israel |
| Consort | Jezebel of Sidon |
| Issue | |
| Dynasty | Omrides |
| Father | Omri |
The existence of Ahab is historically supported outside the Bible. Shalmaneser III of Assyria documented in 853 BC that he defeated an alliance of a dozen kings in the Battle of Qarqar; one of these was Ahab. He is also mentioned on the inscriptions of the Mesha Stele.
Ahab became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa of Judah, and reigned for twenty-two years, according to 1 Kings. William F. Albright dated his reign to 869–850 BC, while Edwin R. Thiele offered the dates 874–853 BC. Most recently, Michael Coogan has dated Ahab's reign to 871–852 BC.