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AHAB

(Heb. ʾaḥʾāḇ)

1. King of Israel (ca. 875-854 b.c.e.) and successor to his father Omri, who arranged a marriage between Ahab and Jezebel, daughter of King Ethbaal of Tyre, to secure good relations between Phoenicia and Israel. Ahab’s 70 sons in Samaria were murdered by Jehu in his coup (2 Kgs. 10), and his daughter (or sister) Athaliah reigned in Judah (843-837) until her murder. A nemesis to the prophet Elijah, Ahab is considered by the Deuteronomistic historian to be the most evil king in Israel (1 Kgs. 16:30, 33; 21:25; Mic. 6:16) and is compared to the evil Manasseh of Judah (2 Kgs. 21:3). Yet, there appear to be inconsistencies between the biblical text and archaeological data.

Biblical Account

The text assumes that Ahab’s evil actions create the drought and famine that ravage Israel and lead to Elijah’s prophetic activities (1 Kgs. 16:29–22:40; 2 Chr. 18, 21). Ahab’s foremost sin is his collusion with Jezebel in promoting the worship of Baal in Israel alongside the worship of Yahweh. Ahab builds a house of worship and altar in Samaria for this Canaanite god (1 Kgs. 16:32), erects a sacred pole for the Canaanite goddess Asherah (v. 33) while allowing Jezebel to dine with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah (18:19). Yet Ahab’s allegiance to Yahweh is evident as he battles in the name of Yahweh (1 Kgs. 20, 22), places Obadiah (Heb. “servant of Yahweh”) in charge of his palace, gives his children Yahweh names, and heeds the words of the prophets Micaiah (1 Kgs. 22) and Elijah. Under Elijah’s orders he gathers Baal’s prophets for the test on Mt. Carmel (1 Kgs. 18) and later dons sackcloth at the words of judgment Elijah brings him (21:17-29). According to the Deuteronomist, Ahab does wrong only because he is “urged on by his wife Jezebel” (1 Kgs. 21:25), strongly illustrated in the story of Naboth’s vineyard.

Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kgs. 21) raises issues of royal power and prerogative in ancient Israel. Naboth represents the old tribal ethos that insists that land stay in the tribe (Lev. 25:23; Num. 36:5-9), whereas Ahab represents the new state administration that is more despotic. Ahab wants Naboth’s vineyard (cf. Isa. 5, , a symbol of Israel), situated next to his palace, for a vegetable garden (symbolic of fertility). His request to purchase this land is refused by Naboth because it must stay in Naboth’s family as his inheritance. Defeated, Ahab returns home to his sympathetic wife, Jezebel, who devises a plan to secure the vineyard by having Naboth falsely accused of treason, whereby Ahab orders his death and confiscates the property. However, according to 2 Kgs. 9, , which scholars suggest reflects an older version of the vineyard account, not only is Ahab solely responsible for Naboth’s death (vv. 25-26), he also kills Naboth’s sons. In punishment God promises to obliterate Ahab’s line and to allow dogs to eat both him and Jezebel (1 Kgs. 21:20-24). Ahab repents and his punishment is deferred to his sons. Nevertheless, Ahab’s blood is lapped up by dogs and bathed in by prostitutes (22:38), not in Jezreel as prophesied, but in Ramoth-gilead where Ahab and King Jehoshaphat of Judah join forces against the Arameans.

The text recognizes but downplays Ahab’s strong leadership abilities. It is noted that he reigns for 22 years, builds and fortifies cities, maintains peaceful borders through marriage alliances (Athaliah to Jehoram of Judah, Ahab to Jezsebel of Phoenicia), and forms treaties with such rulers as Ben-hadad (1 Kgs. 20) and Jehoshaphat (ch. 22). In fact, the Chronicler records that Jehoshaphat pays tribute to Ahab and Israel (2 Chr. 18). Even an image of the valiant leader is painted as Ahab, bleeding profusely and dying, begs to be propped up in his carriage to provide encouragement to his troops as they fight the enemy. Nevertheless, the text portrays an even stronger image of Ahab as a weak leader. After returning victorious from battle (this scene neglects to mention Ahab’s name), Ahab is resentful and sullen because the prophet condemns him for not offering Ben-hadad for destruction under the rules of the ban (ḥērem; 1 Kgs. 20). He whines and refuses to eat when unable to buy Naboth’s vineyard, and he allows Jezebel to rule in his stead. It is this image of Ahab as the “hen-pecked husband” ruled by Jezebel that dominates the biblical story. Historical data, however, create a more prestigious image of Ahab.

Historical Account

Many historians consider Ahab’s building programs to be as impressive as those of Herod and Solomon. Archaeological data suggest that Ahab fortified the cities of Dor, Megiddo, Hazor, Jezreel, Dan, and ʿEn-gev by building casement walls. In addition, he is considered responsible for the intricate water systems at Megiddo and Hazor that protected those cities’ water supplies from Assyrian threat. Urban centers doubled under Ahab’s rule, perhaps because of his willingness to balance both Canaanite and Israelite interests. The sophisticated Phoenician material culture discovered in Israel attests to the close relationship between these two cultures, especially as it disappears after the demise of the Omride dynasty. The Monolith inscription of Assyrian King Shalmaneser III records the battle of Qarqar where a coalition of kings, including Ahab, rose up against the Assyrian. Although Assyria won, neither Hamath (Hama) nor Damascus was taken. Ahab provided the greatest number of resources with his 2000 chariots and 10 thousand soldiers. In addition, the 9th-century Moabite stone (Mesha Stela) indicates that Omri (or “the land of the house of Omri” — perhaps Ahab) controlled Moab for many years. Clearly, historical evidence suggests that Ahab was a strong, politically savvy king.

Rabbinical Sources

Many rabbinical sources stress Ahab’s military prowess and hold both Ahab and Manasseh to higher principles because of their greatness that was diverted to doing evil. Rabbi Johanan argues that Ahab is worthy of 22 years of power because he revered the Torah’s 22 letters and supported the sages. The Zohar argues that it was acceptable for Ahab to take Naboth’s property but not to execute him. Others suggest that Ahab was Naboth’s relative and heir, so entitled to the property (Sanh. 48b).

2. Son of Kolaiah (Jer. 29:21-23) who, with Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, is accused by the prophet Jeremiah of falsely prophesying and committing adultery. He and Zedekiah predicted an early return from exile, inciting riots and chaos in Babylon which led to their execution by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

Deborah A. Appler

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

AHAB

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)