King Ahab of Israel

King Ahab of Israel: Son of King Omri. Reigned from 740-720 BCE. Influenced by his nefarious Zidonite wife Jezebel, Ahab encouraged idol worship in his domain and persecuted the true prophets of G-d. Disregarding Joshua’s ban, he rebuilt the city of Jericho, for which he was admonished by Elijah the prophet and punished with a three-year drought. King Ben-Hadad of Aram twice attacked Israel, with an army much stronger than the Israelites’, yet Ahab miraculously defeated Ben-Hadad and forced him to return the Israelite territory which his father had conquered. When Ben-Hadad refused to give back the city of Ramoth-Gilead, Ahab joined forces with King Jehoshaphat of Judah to force the Aramites’ compliance. Ahab was killed in battle and succeeded by his son, Ahaziah. For his many sins and his cooperation with his wife’s depraved schemes, his entire household was ultimately destroyed, as Elijah prophesied.