Ahab was a king of ancient Israel. He ruled from about 873 to 852 B.C. The name Ahab is Hebrew for brother of the father. Ahab continued the aggressive domestic and international policies of his father, King Omri. These policies brought prosperity and international prestige to Israel, as reflected in impressive archaeological remains of the period. Omri and Ahab were the first Biblical characters to be mentioned in surviving non-Biblical texts of Old Testament times.
The policies of Omri and Ahab, especially their alliance with King Ethbaal of Tyre, led to controversy. Ahab married Ethbaal’s daughter Jezebel and was a strong supporter of the religion of Baalism. In the Bible, I Kings 16-22 tells the story of Ahab’s reign, and I Kings 16:30 condemns Ahab as the worst king of Israel. The prophet Elijah led the opposition to Ahab’s Baalism (see Baal ). A famous confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel occurs in I Kings 17-19.
The Israelites’ battles with the Arameans are recounted in I Kings 20 and 22: 1-38. These accounts conclude with the king of Israel’s death. Their context in the narrative indicates that Ahab was the king. However, several details lead many scholars to believe that this was not Ahab but a later Israelite king. Jeremiah 29:20-23 mentions another Ahab, the son of Kolaiah, as a false prophet.
