900 - 800 BCE
King Ahab, Queen Jezebel,
King Jehu
In the period from 900-800 BCE, King Mesha of Moab as well as the kings of Assyria began to wage war against Israel. It is at this time that the widely known Biblical narrative of King Ahab and his infamous idolatrous wife Jezebel takes place. Ahab inherited a stabilized political kingdom from his father Omri in 871 BCE. However, like his father, he did not maintain the spiritual standards of the people. The idolatry and wickedness of the royal house carried the whole kingdom into spiritual degeneracy. Ahab fell completely under the evil influence of his queen Jezebel, the heathen princess, daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon in Lebanon. Jezebel was a fanatical worshipper of Baal and strove hard to spread this idol worship throughout Israel. At the same time, she persecuted the true Hebrew prophets so fiercely that most went into hiding fearing for their lives. The worship of the calves in Bethel and Dan also went on with unabated zeal. Many new cities sprang up during Ahab's reign. Among them Jezreel, which became one of the favourite royal residences. In open disobedience of the ban imposed by Joshua, Ahab also rebuilt Jericho.
Pair of Lamassu from the Palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Nimrud
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Photo by Xuan Che via Wikipedia
The Israelite God, Y-H-V-H, Enters History on the Moabite Stone, 880 BCE
1 Kings 16:23
In the thirty-first year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri became king of Israel.
The Moabite Stone (also called Mesha Stele) Inscription
“Omri was the king of Israel, and he oppressed Moab… His son (Ahab) succeeded him, and he also said, I will oppress Moab. . . And I (King Mesha of Moab) took the Vessels of Y-H-V-H.”
The Name of the G-d of Israel, King Omri, and his son appears on the Moabite Stone, 880 BCE
1 Kings 16:23
In the thirty-first year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri became king of Israel.
In this picture is the Moabite Stone, also called the Mesha Stele Inscription. The Stele is made of black basalt and stands nearly four feet tall.
The inscription begins in the common fashion of Ancient Near Eastern royal monumental inscriptions by speaking in the name of the king, proclaiming, “I am Mesha, King of Moab”. It continues to describe the triumph of Moab’s rebellion against the dominion of the kingdom of Israel. Part of the inscription reads:
“Omri was the king of Israel, and he oppressed Moab… His son (Ahab) succeeded him, and he also said, I will oppress Moab. . . And I (King Mesha of Moab) took the Vessels of G-d.” [ spelling out Yud and Hey and Vav and Hey]
Located in Transjordan, roughly opposite the territory of Judah, east of the Dead Sea, the Moabites were somewhat closely related to the Israelites, one of their many territorial adversaries.
The Louvre Museum, Paris
Photo by Ardon Bar-Hama
Many Biblical Places and Names Are Mentioned on the Moabite Stone
Y-H-V-H, the God of Israel
Omr i– 1 Kings 16
Arnon—Isaiah 16
Ataroth—Joshua 16
Baal-meon—Numbers 32
Beth-Diblathaim—Jeremiah 48
Bezer—Joshua 8
Chemosh the God of the Moabites—Jeremiah 48
Dibon—Isaiah 15
Edom—Isaiah 34
Tribe of Gad—Joshua 13
Horonaim—Isaiah 15
Jahaz—Isaiah 15
Kiriathaim—Jeremiah 48
Medaba—Numbers 21
Mesha—2 Kings 3
Moab—Isaiah 16
Nebo—Jeremiah 48
The Moabite stone mentions many biblical places and names
including:
The four-letter name of the God of Israel also known as the
tetragrammaton
Omri– 1 Kings 16
Arnon—Isaiah 16
Ataroth—Joshua 16
Baal-meon—Numbers 32
Beth-Diblathaim—Jeremiah 48
Bezer—Joshua 8
Chemosh the God of the Moabites—Jeremiah 48
Dibon—Isaiah 15
Edom—Isaiah 34
The Tribe of Gad—Joshua 13
Horonaim—Isaiah 15
Jahaz—Isaiah 15
Kiriathaim—Jeremiah 48
Medaba—Numbers 21
Mesha—2 Kings 3
Moab—Isaiah 16
Nebo—Jeremiah 48
Photo by Ardon Bar-Hama
The Kingdom of Moab
Genesis 19:36-38
Thus, both the daughters of Lot were with child by their
father. And the first-born bore a son and called his name
Moab--the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name
Ben-ammi--the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
Who were the Moabites? The Bible relates the story of
Abraham’s nephew Lot, fleeing with his wife and two daughters from the sulfur
and fire destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the location of the modern-day Dead
Sea. His wife dies and turns into a salt pillar on the way. Thinking that they
might be the only survivors, Lot’s daughters become pregnant by their father.
Genesis 19:36-38 Thus, both the daughters of Lot were with child by their
father. And the first-born bore a son and called his name Moab--the same is the
father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bore a son and
called his name Ben-ammi--the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto
this day.
The two sons grow into two nations respectively and
settle on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Moab, more specifically just
east of the Dead Sea.
Ashurnasirpal II, King of Assyria, 883-859 BCE
Ashurnasirpal II was the first Assyrian king to attack the countries that bordered the Mediterranean Sea. After his death, his son, Shalmaneser III, attacked Israel.
Ashurnasirpal II was king of Assyria from 883 to 859
BCE. He was the first Assyrian king to
attack the countries that bordered the Mediterranean Sea. After his death, his son, Shalmaneser III
attacked Israel.
In this photo by Ardon Bar-Hama is the Stele of Ashurnasirpal II
at the British Museum
British Museum, London,
Photo by Ardon Bar-Hama
Shalmaneser III, King of Assyria, 859-824 BCE
Though not directly mentioned in the Bible, King Shalmaneser III of Assyria twice battled the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
Assyrian King Shalmaneser the 3rd enters Israelite history during the rule of King Ahab. His attacks along with those of his successors, Adad-Nirari III, Tiglath-Pileser III, and Sargon II ultimately led to the exile of the 10 Northern Tribes of Israel.
Shalmaneser Palace at Nimrud (Calah), 20 mi. south of Nineveh in Assyria (Iraq), Institute for the Visualization of History, Courtesy of George Blumenthal
King Ahab of Israel
Enters History, 853 BCE
The Kurkh Stele
The Kurkh Stele gives Shalmaneser III’s account of the Battle of Qarqar, where he fought an alliance of twelve kings, and describes his encounter with Ahab. He wrote:
“I departed from Nineveh, crossed the Tigris… I crossed the Euphrates… 2,000 chariots, 10,000 foot soldiers of Ahab the Israelite . . .came against me."
An alliance of 12 kings from the southern Levant including
Ahab opposed King Shalmaneser the 3rd’s territorial expansions.
Shalmaneser III gives his account of the war on the Kurkh stele circa 853 BCE.
He
wrote:
“I departed from
Nineveh, crossed the Tigris… I crossed the Euphrates… 2,000 chariots,
10,000-foot soldiers of Ahab the Israelite . . .came against me."
Since the Bible strangely does not mention this
battle, the Assyrian inscription provides the only textual witness of Israel’s
important involvement in these geopolitical events.
The British Museum, London
Jezebel Enters History,
873 BCE
1 Kings 16:29-31
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty-two years... he [Ahab] took as wife Jezebel daughter of King Ethbaal of the Phoenicians…
Phoenician Seal with the Inscription:
“Belonging to Jezebel”
1 Kings 16:29-31
In the thirty-eighth
year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he
reigned in Samaria for twenty-two years... he [Ahab] took as wife Jezebel
daughter of King Ethbaal of the Phoenicians…
In this picture is a Phoenician Seal with the Inscription:
“Belonging to Jezebel”
Though its connection to the Biblical Jezebel is
debated, the script and iconography point toward a Phoenician origin. The
iconography further incorporates various Egyptian elements, common in
Phoenician art of the time period that Jezebel lived.
Israel Museum / Israel Antiquities Authority
King Jehu and Israelites Depicted on the Black Obelisk, 841 BCE
In this picture is a depiction of King Jehu and Israelites on the Black Obelisk as part of the annals of Shalmaneser III circa 841 BCE. It reads: “I received tribute from Jehu son of Omri: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden vase with pointed bottom, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin, a staff for a king [and] spears. One of the most renowned artifacts from ancient Assyria is Shalmaneser III’s Black Obelisk, a four-sided black alabaster stele standing over six feet tall.
2 Kings 9:24
Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram (son of Ahab) between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.
The Black Obelisk, Annals of King Shalmaneser III
“I received tribute from Jehu son of Omri: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden vase with pointed bottom, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin, a staff for a king [and] spears.”
Interestingly the annals consistently refer to Jehu as “Jehu, son of Omri,” despite the fact that Jehu usurped the throne according to 2 Kings 9–10. 2 Kings 9:24 Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram (son of Ahab) between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot. Not only was he not Omri’s son, but Jehu was not even his descendant. The 9th-8th centuries BCE chiefdoms were often referred to by a dynastic title as “House of X,” X being the dynasty’s founder. Therefore, “son of Omri” either refers to the name of Jehu’s dynasty or the “Omride Dynasty” as referred to by scholars. Even though he was not part of Omri’s lineage, the Assyrians seem to have understood his kingship as a continuation of the kingdom of Israel that rose to stature under Omri.
The British Museum, LondonPhoto by Ardon Bar-Hama
The Black Obelisk:
King Shalmaneser III of Assyria and King Jehu of Israel
This video depicts the citadel of Shalmaneser III in Nimrud (ancient Kalhu or modern Northern Iraq) where the Black Obelisk was found. It was discovered during excavations by British archaeologist Austen Henry Layard in 1846.
Shalmaneser's Palace in Nimrud, Institute for the Visualization
of History, Courtesy of George Blumenthal
The British Museum, London
Photo by Ardon Bar-Hama
King David Enters History,
c. 800 BCE
In 1993, a fragmentary stele with an inscription was found at Tel Dan in the Northern Galilee that verified the existence of King David. The stele dates to about 800 BCE, the period of King Hazael of Aram (modern day Syria).
2 Kings 12:18
At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.
Tel Dan Stele Inscription:
"I killed the king of Israel... I slew the king of the House of David."
In 1993, a fragmentary stele with an inscription was found at Tel Dan in
the Northern Galilee that verified the existence of King David. The stele dates to about 800
BCE, the period of King Hazael of Aram, modern-day Syria.
The Tel Dan Stele Inscription reads: "I killed the
king of Israel... I slew the king of the
House of David."
Hazael is first mentioned by name in 1 Kings 19:15.
During his reign (c. 842–800 BCE), King Hazael led the
Arameans in battle against the forces of King Jehoram of Israel, son of Ahab,
and King Ahaziah of Judah
2 Kings 12:18
At
that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured
it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.
Photo by Ardon Bar-Hama
Israel Museum / Israel Antiquities Authority
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