Ahab (AY-hab) was king of the northern kingdom of Israel, husband of Jezebel, and a ruler whose military and political power was repeatedly undermined by compromise and passivity.
Birth year: Unknown.
Death year: Unknown.
Active during: The divided monarchy, during the ninth century BC.
Home region: Samaria and Jezreel in the northern kingdom of Israel.
Main passages: 1 Kings 16:29–22:40.
Story and role
Ahab was king of the northern kingdom of Israel, husband of Jezebel, and a ruler whose military and political power was repeatedly undermined by compromise and passivity.
What the record preserves
The biblical passages show the choices, relationships, and consequences that made Ahab part of the larger story. They should be read in context rather than reduced to a single label.
Limits of the evidence
The Bible gives a theological account rather than a complete royal biography. The portrait is imagined, not a known likeness.
Explore the places connected with Ahab on a modern reference map.
Read further
1 Kings 16:29–22:40, NIV; BiblicalTraining reference library.