²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of King Asa of Judah, Ahab son of Omri began to reign over Israel. Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel from Samaria for twenty-two years. ³⁰ Ahab son of Omri did more bad things in the sight of YHWH than all who were before him. ³¹ And as if it were an insignificant thing for him just to continue committing the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, additionally he took Jezebel, daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, as his wife. He continued to serve Baal, and worshiped him. (16:29-31)

    Typical of such summaries, the reign of the northern king, in this case Ahab, is matched with the reign of Judah's king. The capital city is named Samaria; Ahab's father Omri moved the capital from Shechem to Samaria, where it would remain for the duration of Israel's existence. Note also the negative evaluation of Ahab, given in terms of continuing the idolatry of Jeroboam who set up the golden calves in Dan and Bethel. But Ahab went even further. He married Jezebel, who brazenly promoted the worship of Baal.

Moabite Stone Omri was the founder of one of Israel's most powerful and long lived dynasties (lasting four generations, 876-842 B.C.E.). He made alliances with Phoenicia and Judah and controlled Moab. This 9th-century B.C.E. stele mentions "Omri, king of Israel" and Mesha, king of Moab, who rebelled against Ahab (see 2 Kings 3:4-5). Musée du Louvre, Paris

    Like Solomon's marriages, Ahab's marriage to Jezebel was made for diplomatic reasons, to seal an alliance with the Phoenicians. But the Deuteronomistic writer sees only the religious implications of this marriage. It was yet another sign of the deterioration of Israel's loyalty to Yahweh in favor of Baal.
    The core of 1 Kings 17 through 2 Kings 2 is a cycle of narratives revolving around the central figure of Elijah. Into this group of Elijah stories other material has been inserted, including the Micaiah account (22). The Elijah stories have been shaped to highlight the struggle between Yahweh's champion, Elijah, and the Israelite dynasty, which advocated the worship of Baal and Asherah.
    The struggle between Yahweh and Baal was drawn up in such a way as to pit Yahweh against Baal on Baal's own turf. Baal was presumed to be the god who controlled agricultural fertility by providing the life-giving rains. In Canaanite mythic texts he is called "the Rider on the Clouds." Logically then, Elijah declared a drought on the country. What better way to find out who really does send the rain?

Baal of the Lightning This stone plaque, dating to the early second millennium B.C.E., was found at Ugarit. It depicts the Canaanite male deity Baal holding a lightning rod in his left hand. As the god of the storm he was thought to be responsible for rain, and was worshiped to enhance agricultural productivity. Musée du Louvre, Paris

    Elijah himself found relief from the drought and attendant famine with a widow and her son in Zarephath. The irony in the story could not be more pointed. Zarephath is in the heartland of Jezebel's homeland, the territory of her patron god, Baal Melqart. There Elijah performed life-giving miracles to demonstrate the power of Yahweh. He provided unlimited food to this poor widow, and even brought her dead son back to life.

The Prophet Elijah Receiving Bread and Water from an Angel, by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) 1625-28, Musée Bonnat at Bayonne, France -- WebMuseum, Paris

    Finally, the issue was settled by a dramatic encounter. Elijah confronted 450 prophets of Baal in a contest to determine who sends the rain. The Baal prophets, assisted by some 400 prophets devoted to Asherah, tried to get the attention of their gods with shouts and bodily mutilations, but to no avail. In contrast, Elijah called on his God, who sent lightning down from heaven, devouring a well-drenched sacrifice and proving who really manages the storm. The citizenry who witnessed the outcome of the contest sided with Elijah and Yahweh and slew the prophets of Baal. Since they had been sponsored by Jezebel, this upset her terribly, and she resolved to see Elijah dead.
    Elijah fled to Horeb, a symbolic forty-day journey away. He returned to the site of Mosaic revelation, perhaps to reestablish contact with the God of the exodus. While he was there he awaited the revealing of God, expecting it to happen in storm, earthquake, or fire--the expected modes of theophany. Instead, God made his presence known in a barely audible whisper, the "still small voice" of the older English versions. Elijah was then assured that the cause of Yahweh was not dead in Israel, and that Elijah himself would oversee the demise of the house of Ahab.
    To understand the logic of the text's organization, note how the next two chapters provide a characterization of Ahab with reasons enough for his elimination. Chapter 20 has nothing to do with Elijah, though unnamed prophets are part of the action. The text at first seems flattering in the way it describes Ahab's victory over the Syrians, but then it condemns him because he failed to eliminate them totally when he had the chance. The story might remind you of Saul's similar failure to destroy the Amalekites when he had the chance. The text implies that Ahab must meet the same end as Saul.
    Chapter 21 reveals the inner Ahab, the weak leader easily manipulated by his wife Jezebel. Ahab desired the property adjacent to his palace in Samaria. Its owner, Naboth, refused to sell family holdings. Jezebel arranged for Naboth to be falsely accused of a capital offense and executed. For this, Elijah condemned Ahab and declared that his dynasty would come to an end.
    Ahab died in battle fighting the Ammonites, as the next chapter details. Chapter 22 is yet another chapter in which Elijah does not appear. Instead, the prophet Micaiah appears and foretells the death of Ahab. In contrast to Micaiah, about 400 prophets loyal to Ahab encouraged him to fight by predicting victory. Micaiah's voice was alone in opposition, much like Elijah's had been at Carmel. The description of Micaiah's meeting with God where he received the knowledge of Ahab's doom is especially intriguing, providing a glimpse of the divine council at work.

¹⁹ I saw YHWH sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven flanking him right and left. ²⁰ YHWH said, "Who will lure Ahab so that he will attack Ramoth-gilead and fall?" One said this and another that, ²¹ until a spirit came forward and stood before YHWH. "I will lure him." ²² "How?" YHWH asked. He replied, "I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets." Then YHWH said, "You are to lure him, and you will succeed. Go and do it." ²³ As you have seen, YHWH has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours. YHWH has decreed disaster for you! (22:19-23)

    In other words, the true prophet has access to the throne room of Yahweh, where he receives true knowledge and historical insight. The true prophet gets his message straight from Yahweh. False prophets claim to be speaking for Yahweh when they are not.
    Obviously still loyal to Baal, the dynasty of Ahab continues to fall under the condemnation of the Deuteronomistic Historian in the continuing Elijah cycle when Elijah returns in 2 Kings 1. Here we find Ahaziah following his father Ahab as king over Israel. After Ahaziah fell through the roof of his palace he tried to send messengers to Baal-zebub (a local Baal god) inquiring whether he would live or die. Elijah intercepted the messengers and told them Ahaziah would most certainly die. Ahaziah tried to retaliate by sending soldiers to assassinate Elijah, but once again Elijah marshaled fire from heaven and destroyed them.
    Elijah departed from the scene in a spectacular way. While being followed by his disciple Elisha, he crossed the Jordan River and headed to the place in Transjordan where he would depart. While the exact location is left vague, the implication might be that he went to the Mount Nebo region to pass on (the same place where Moses had died; other experiences, including the flight to Horeb (Mount Sinai), and the miraculous crossing of the Jordan, are duplicates of Mosaic experiences). As Elisha looked on, a chariot of fire engulfed Elijah and he was whisked into heaven in a whirlwind. It appears that the theophany transported Elijah to the divine council.

Elijah and the Messiah. As a result of the tradition that Elijah did not die but is with God, significant expectations of Elijah's future return developed within Judaism and Christianity. It was believed that Elijah would someday come back to earth, and his arrival would signal the dawn of the Messianic era. For texts that seem to connect Elijah with the future messiah, see Malachi 4:4-6, Sirach 48:9, and in the New Testament Mark 9:2-13. The cup of Elijah of the Jewish passover seder is another example of this expectation.