Secret_History

366 The Secret History of the World
friendship with “Hiram, King of Tyre”. Was this Ethbaal the real “Hiram”? In any
event, Ahab built magnificent cities and established one of the most powerful
armies in the region. He conquered extensive territory to the north and in the
Transjordan, and Israel enjoyed wealth and extensive trade connections. The
kingdom of Israel was finally something to notice! However, the character of this
kingdom was markedly different from the tiny kingdom of Judah.
Ahab was about the most hated individual in all the Biblical texts. What Ahab
did that caused him to be so viciously vilified, according to the editor of the Bible,
was that he committed the greatest of Biblical sins: he introduced foreign gods into
the land of Israel and caused the priests and prophets of Yahweh to be put to death.
What’s more, he did it because of the influence of that wicked Phoenician princess
he had married: Jezebel.
The Bible dwells long and pruriently upon the sins of this famous couple.
Nevertheless, we ought to note that these very same sins were attributed to
Solomon, who was, however, transmogrified into a southern kingdom monarch,
and was, therefore, forgiven even if Yahweh was determined to punish his family.
One gets the disorienting feeling that the stories of Omri and Ahab and David and
Solomon are, essentially, the same. Jezebel was most especially hated because she
tossed the prophets and priests of Yahweh out on their ears. Solomon was also
recorded to have ejected the priests of Shiloh, so again, we have a cross
connection.
In the Bible, the heroes of the story of Omri and Ahab are the prophets Elijah
and Elisha - no doubt priests of Shiloh (which will become quite significant rather
soon) - since it was recorded as the home of the prophet Ahijah in 1 Kings, 14:2. A
great demonstration of the power of Yahweh is said to have been engineered by
Elijah in his confrontation with Ahab, and the result was that the people seized the
prophets of the foreign god, Baal, and slaughtered them at the brook Kishon.
Jezebel, naturally, went on a rampage, and Elijah felt it was time to get out of
Dodge. He headed for the hills in the wilderness and talked to God on Mount
Horeb just like Moses was supposed to have done. Yahweh pronounced a dire
prophecy against Ahab, but curiously gave him a few more chances to redeem
himself as evidenced by his victories against Ben-Hadad, king of Aram-Damascus.
Yahweh, apparently, was willing to relent if Ahab would kill Ben-Hadad.
However, Ahab decided to make peace instead, and a treaty was arranged. On and
on the account goes, vilifying Ahab and Jezebel. After his death, Elisha anointed
another general in the army to be king, Jehu. This guy was more to Yahweh’s
liking, apparently, and Yahweh saw to it that Jezebel suffered a terrible death,
thrown from a window and devoured by dogs. Jehu then sent for all of Ahab’s
sons, (there were reportedly 70 of them), by any number of wives or concubines,
and had them all slaughtered and their heads piled up in a mound at the gate of the
city to inspire awe and confidence in the new king, not to mention Yahweh.
The Bible says that Jehu brought down the Omrides, yet there is evidence that
this is probably not true.
In 1993, an inscription was found that is believed to have been produced by
Hazael, king of Aram-Damascus. From the inscription, it seems that Hazael
captured the city of Dan around 835 BC and refers to the “House of David”.
Hazael’s invasion was clearly the one that weakened the power of the northern