The histon- of King Ahab is given in detail in the sacred narrative, 1 Kings xvi-xxii (see Obbarius, Gesch. d. Hauses Ahab, Nordh. 1754). One of his chief tastes was for splendid architecture, which he showed by building an ivory house and several cities, and also by ordering the restoration and fortification of Jericho, which seems to have belonged to Israel, and not to Judah, as it is said to have been rebuilt in the days of Ahab rather than in those of the con- temporary king of Judah, Jehoshaphat (1 Kings xvi, 34). But the place in which he chiefly indulged this passion was the beautiful city of Jezreel (now Zerln), in the plain of Esdraelon, which he adorned with a palace and park for his own residence, though Samaria remained the capital of his kingdom. Desiring to add
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to his pleasure-grounds there the vineyard of his neighbor Naboth, he proposed to buy it or give land in exchange for it; and when this was refused by Naboth, in accordance with the Mosaic law, on the ground that the vineyard was " the inheritance of his fathers" (Lev. xxv, 23), a false accusation of blas- phemy was brought against him, and not only was he himself stoned to death, but his sons also, as we learn from 2 Kings ix, 26. Elijah, already the great vindi- cator of religion, now appeared as the asserter of mo- rality, and declared that the entire extirpation of Allah's house was the penalty appointed for his long course of wickedness, now crowned by this atrocious crime. The execution, however, of this sentence was delayed in consequence of Ahab's deep repentance. (See Niemeyer, Chardkt. v, 101). See Naboth.
We read of three campaigns which Ahab undertook against Benhadad II, king of Damascus, two defensive and one offensive. See Benhadad. In the first, Benhadad laid siege to Samaria, and Ahab, encour- aged by the patriotic counsels of God's prophets, who, next to the true religion, valued most deeply the in- dependence of his chosen people, made a sudden attack on him while, in the plenitude of arrogant confidence, he was banqueting in his tent wfith his 32 vassal kings. The Syrians were totally routed, and fled to Damas- cus. Next year Benhadad, believing that his failure was owing to some peculiar power which the God of Israel exercised over the hills, invaded Israel by way of Aphek, on the east of Jordan. Yet Ahab's victory was so complete that Benhadad himself fell into his hands, but was released (contrary to the will of God as announced by a prophet) on condition of restoring all the cities of Israel which he held, and making " streets" for Ahab in Damascus ; that is, admitting into his capital permanent Hebrew commissioners, in an independent position, with special dwellings for themselves and thoir retinues, to watch over the com- mercial and political interests of Ahab and his sub- jects. This was apparently in retaliation for a simi- lar privilege exacted by Benhadad's predecessor from Omri in respect to Samaria. After this great success Ahab enjoyed peace for three years, and it is difficult to account exactly for the third outbreak of hostilities, Which in Kings is briefly attributed to an attack made by Ahab on Ramoth in Gilead on the east of Jordan, in conjunction with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, which town he claimed as belonging to Israel. But if Ra- moth was one of the cities which Benhadad agreed to restore, why did Ahab wait for three years to enforce the fulfilment of the treaty ? From this difficulty and the extreme bitterness shown by Benhadad against Ahab personally (1 Kings xxii, 31), it seems probable that this was not the case (or at all events that the Syrians did not so understand the treaty), but that Ahab, now strengthened by Jehoshaphat, who must have felt keenly the paramount importance of crip- pling the power of Syria, originated the war by as- saulting Ramoth without any immediate provocation. In any case, God's blessing did not rest on the expe- dition, and Ahab was told by the prophet Micaiah that it would fail, and that the prophets who advised it were hurrying him to his ruin. For giving this warn- ing .Micaiah was imprisoned; but Ahab was so far roused by it as to take the precaution of disguising himself, so as not to offer a conspicuous mark to the archers of Benhadad. But lie was slain by a " certain man who drew a bow at a venture;" and, though stayed up in his chariot for a time, yet he died toward evening, and liis army dispersed. When he was brought to be buried in Samaria, the dogs licked up his blood as a servant was washing his chariot; a par- tial fulfilment of Elijah's prediction (1 Kings xxi, 19), which was more literally accomplished in the case of his son {_' Kings ix, 26). Josephus, however, substi- tutes Jezreel for Samaria in the former passage (Ant. viii, 15, G).— 3»iith. See Israel, Kingdom of.
2. A false prophet who deceived the Israelites at Babylon, and was threatened by Jeremiah, who fore- told that he should be put to death by the king of Babylon in the presence of those whom he bed be- guiled ; and that in following times it should become a common malediction to say, " The Lord make thee like Ahab and Zedekiah, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire" (Jer. xxix, 21, 22), B.C. 594. The rabbins, followed by several expositors, believe that this Ahab and his associate Zedekiah were the two elders that conspired against the chastity and life of Susanna, as related in the Apocrypha ; but their pun- ishment appears to have been by stoning (Penz, De gupplicw Achabi, etc. Lpz. 1736). See Susanna.