(The son of Baasha, the adventurer, seems to have been as weak and incompetent as his father was ready and daring. While his army was off to the wars, he stayed at home and indulged his appet.i.tes. He was "drinking himself drunk" in the house of his steward Arza, when Zimri, captain of his chariots, came in and murdered him in cold blood as he lay like a beast in the slumber of drunkenness.)
In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and reigned two years. And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him: now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, which was over the household in Tirzah: and Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, and reigned in his stead. And it came to pa.s.s, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he smote all the house of Baasha: he left him not a single man child, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends. Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned, and wherewith they made Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, to anger with their vanities.
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[Ill.u.s.tration]
MOUNT HERMON.
Mount Hermon, the great mountain barrier of northern Palestine, rises 9,200 feet above the sea. In the picture the range can be seen dimly, the ravines being filled with snow.
[End ill.u.s.tration]
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ZIMRI.
(There was wild work in Tirzah for a few days after Zimri killed the king. He followed up his advantage by a.s.sa.s.sinating all the children of Elah, so the house of Baasha, like the house of Jeroboam, was speedily exterminated. But Zimri"s triumph was very short-lived. For just one week he wore the purple. Then the army returned and fell upon him. He went into the palace to defend himself, but finding his cause hopeless, he burned the palace over his own head, and perished in the flames. His name became a synonym for treachery in Israel, so that later, when Jezebel looked from her lattice and saw her foe Jehu below, she called out to him with the taunt, "Is it peace, thou "Zimri," thou master"s murderer?")
In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. And the people that were encamped heard that Zimri had conspired, and had also murdered the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp. And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. And it came to pa.s.s, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the castle of the king"s house, and burnt the king"s house over him with fire, and died, for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin.
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OMRI.
(In the confusion which followed the death of Zimri, there were two rival claimants to the throne, Omri and Tibni. Omri quickly prevailed, however, and at once began to show his great genius as a ruler. He established a dynasty so powerful that it lasted for four reigns. He built the city of Samaria, and waged many successful wars against neighboring peoples.)
Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri. But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned. In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, and reigned twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah. And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria. And Omri did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and dealt wickedly above all that were before him. For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, to anger with their vanities. So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
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[Ill.u.s.tration]
THE MOABITE STONE.
Used by special permission of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
A monument of a Moabite king, Mesha, in which he describes wars with Omri, king of Israel. This famous stone was discovered in 1868. The translation of the inscription is as follows:--
"I, Mesha, am the son of Chemosh-Gad, king of Moab, the Dibonite. My father reigned over Moab thirty years, and I reigned after my father. And I erected this stone to Chemosh at Kirkha, a (stone of) salvation, for he saved me from all despoilers, and made me see my desire upon all my enemies, even upon Omri, king of Israel. Now they afflicted Moab many days, for Chemosh was angry with his land.
His son succeeded him; and he also said, I will afflict Moab. In my days (Chemosh) said, (Let us go) and I will see my desire on him and his house, and I will destroy Israel with an everlasting destruction. Now Omri took the land of Medeba, and (the enemy) occupied it in (his days and in) the days of his son, forty years.
And Chemosh (had mercy) on it in my days; and I fortified Baal-Meon, and made therein the tank, and I fortified Kiriathaim. For the men of Gad dwelt in the land of (Atar)oth from of old, and the king (of) Israel fortified for himself Ataroth, and I a.s.saulted the wall and captured it, and killed all the warriors of the wall for the well-pleasing of Chemosh and Moab; and I removed from it all the spoil, and I (offered) it before Chemosh in Kirjath; and I placed therein the men of Siran and the men of Mochrath. And Chemosh said to me, Go take Nebo against Israel. (And I) went in the night, and I fought against it from the break of dawn till noon, and I took it and slew in all seven thousand (men, but I did not kill) the women (and) maidens, for (I) devoted them to Ashtar-Chemosh; and I took from it the vessels of Yahveh, and offered them before Chemosh. And the king of Israel fortified Jahaz and occupied it, when he made war against me; and Chemosh drove him out before (me, and) I took from Moab two hundred men, all its poor, and placed them in Jahaz, and took it to annex it to Dibon. I built Kirkha, the wall of the forest, and the wall of the city, and I built the gates thereof, and I built the towers thereof, and I built the palace, and I made the prisons for the criminals within the walls. And there was no cistern in the wall at Kirkha, and I said to all the people, Make for yourselves, every man, a cistern in his house. And I dug the ditch for Kirkha by means of the (captive) men of Israel. I built Aroer, and I made the road across the Arnon. I built Beth-Bamoth, for it was destroyed; I built Bezer, for it was cut (down) by the armed men of Dibon, for all Dibon was now loyal; and I reigned from Bikran, which I added to my land, and I built (Beth-Gamul) and Beth-Diblathaim and Beth-Baal-Meon, and I placed there the poor (people) of the land. And as to Horonaim, (the men of Edom) dwelt therein (from of old). And Chemosh said to me, Go down, make war against Horonaim and take (it. And I a.s.saulted it, and I took it, and) Chemosh (restored it) in my days. Wherefore I made . . . . year . . . . and I . . . ."
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AHAB.
_How a Wicked King Met His Death_.
(One of the wickedest kings who ever sat upon a throne was Ahab. This story tells how, while fighting in company with Jehoshaphat, he met his death in battle, and how the terrible prophecy of Elijah was fulfilled.
With his customary trickiness, he tried to escape notice in the battle, by making his ally, the king of Judah, conspicuous. An archer, however, drawing his bow at a venture, struck the king between the joints of his armor, and inflicted a mortal wound.)
[Footnote: The story of the houses of Ahab and Jehu are told more fully in "Tales of Elijah and Elisha," to be found in this volume.]
And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.
And it came to pa.s.s in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. And the king of Israel said unto his servants, "Know ye that Ramoth-gilead is ours, and we are still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?"
And he said unto Jehoshaphat, "Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead?"
And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses."
And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, "Inquire first, I pray thee, for the word of the Lord."
Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, {378} about four hundred men, and said unto them, "Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?"
And they said, "Go up; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king."
But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we may inquire of him?"
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil."
And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so." Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, "Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah."
Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said, "Thus saith the Lord, "With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until they be consumed.""
And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king."
And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke unto him, saying, "Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak thou good."
And Micaiah said, "As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak."
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And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?" And he answered him, "Go up, and prosper; and the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king."
And the king said unto him, "How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?"
And he said, "I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the Lord said, "These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace.""
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"