900 - 800 BCE

In the period from 900-800 BCE, King Mesha of Moab as well as the kings of Assyria began to wage war against Israel. It is at this time that the widely known Biblical narrative of King Ahab and his infamous idolatrous wife Jezebel takes place. Ahab inherited a stabilized political kingdom from his father Omri in 871 BCE. However, like his father, he did not maintain the spiritual standards of the people. The idolatry and wickedness of the royal house carried the whole kingdom into spiritual degeneracy. Ahab fell completely under the evil influence of his queen Jezebel, the heathen princess, daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon in Lebanon.

Jezebel was a fanatical worshipper of Baal and strove hard to spread this idol worship throughout Israel. At the same time, she persecuted the true Hebrew prophets so fiercely that most went into hiding fearing for their lives. The worship of the calves in Bethel and Dan also went on with unabated zeal.

Many new cities sprang up during Ahab's reign. Among them Jezreel, which became one of the favourite royal residences. In open disobedience of the ban imposed by Joshua, Ahab also rebuilt Jericho.