AHAB, son of Omri, king of Israel, succeeded his father a. m. 3086, and surpassed all his predecessors in impiety and wickedness. He married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, who introduced the idols of Baal and Astarte among the Israelites, and engaged Ahab in the worship of these false deities. God, being provoked by the sins of Ahab, sent the prophet Elijah to him (1 Kings xvii. 1, sey.), who declared to him that there would be a famine of three years’ continuance. The dearth having lasted three years, the prophet desired Ahab to gather all the people to Mount Carmel, and with them the prophets of Baal: when they were thus assembled, Elijah caused fire to descend from heaven upon his sacrifice; after which he obtained of God that it should [7:2:361]rain, and then the earth recovered its former fertility. Six years after this, Ben-hadad, king of Syria (chap, xx.), laid siege to Jerusalem. But God, provoked at this proud Syrian, sent a prophet to Ahab, not only to assure him of victory, but to instruct him likewise in what manner he was to obtain it. Ahab was ordered to review the princes of the provinces, which he found to be a choice company, consisting of 232 young men, who were to command the people in Samaria, amounting to about 7000 men. With this small army Ahab was directed to fall upon the great host of the Syrians, and that at noon-day, while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings that accompanied him were drinking and making merry. Ben-hadad having notice that they were marching out of the city, ordered them to be brought before him alive, whatever their designs were; but the young men, followed by this small army, advanced, and killed all that opposed them. Such a panic seized the Syrian troops, that they began to fly, and even Ben-hadad himself mounted his horse and fled with his cavalry; which Ahab perceiving, pursued them, killed great numbers of them, and took a considerable booty. After this the prophet came to Ahab, to animate him with fresh courage, and to caution him to keep upon his guard, assuring him that Ben-hadad would return against him the year following. According to this prediction, at the end of the year he returned and encamped at Aphek, with a resolution to give the Israelites battle. Both armies being ranged in order of battle for seven days successively, at length, upon the seventh day, a battle ensued, wherein the Israelites killed 100,000 of the Syrians, and the rest fled to Aphek; but as they were pressing to get into the city, the walls of Aphek fell upon them, and killed 27,000 more. Ben-hadad throwing himself upon the mercy of Ahab, this prince received him into his own chariot, and made an alliance with him. The year following, Ahab desiring to make a kitchen-garden near his palace (chap xxi.), requested of one Naboth, a citizen of Jezreel, that he would sell him his vineyard, because it lay conveniently for him. But being refused, he returned in great discontentment to his house, threw himself upon the bed, turned towards the wall, and would eat nothing. Jezebel his wife coming in, asked the reason of his great concern, of which being informed, she procured the death of Naboth, and Ahab took possession of his vineyard. As he returned from Jezreel to Samaria, the prophet Elijah met him, and said, “Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. As for Jezebel, of her the Lord spoke, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the way of Jezreel.” Ahab, hearing these and other denunciations, rent his clothes, put sackcloth upon his flesh, and gave -other indications of his sorrow and repentance. But his repentance was neither sincere nor persevering. Two years after these things, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, came to Samaria to visit Ahab (chap, xxii,), at a time when he was preparing to attack Ramoth-gilead, which Ben-hadad, king of Syria, unjustly withheld from him. The king of Israel invited Jehoshaphat to accompany him in this expedition, which that prince agreed to do, but desired that some prophet might first be consulted. Ahab therefore assembled the prophets of Baal, in number about 400, who all concurred in exhorting the king to march resolutely against Ramoth-gilead. But Micaiah, being also consulted at Jehoshaphat’s suggestion, prophesied the ruin of Ahab. Upon this Ahab gave orders to his people to seize Micaiah, and to carry him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son, telling him in his name, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with brea.d of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.” But Micaiah said, “If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me.” Ahab, therefore, and Jehoshaphat, marched up to Ramoth-gilead; and the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes: for he knew that the king of Syria had commanded two-and-thirty captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, “Fight neither with small nor with great, save only with the king of Israel.” These officers, therefore, having observed that Jehoshaphat was dressed in royal robes, took him for the king of Israel, and fell upon him with great impetuosity: but this prince seeing himself pressed so closely, cried out; and the mistake being discovered, the captains of the king of Syria gave over pursuing him. But one of the Syrian army shot a random arrow, which pierced the heart of Ahab. The battle lasted the whole day, and Ahab continued in his chariot with his face turned towards the Syrians. In the mean time his blood was still issuing from his wound and falling into his chariot, and towards the evening he died; whereupon proclamation was made, by the sound of trumpet, that every man should return to his own city and country. The king of Israel being dead, was earned to Samaria and buried; but his chariot and the reins of his horses were washed in the fish-pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked his blood, according to the word of the prophet. Such was the end of Ahab. His son Ahaziah succeeded him in the year of the world 3107.