Israel, Judah capture land
Land grab
Israel and Judah take land from Syria and Edom
Israel, Judah, and Moab are the big winners in a land grab. Each nation fought for control over their individual corners of the region.Assyria weakens Syria
Assyria attacks Syria, leaving it too weak to defend itself against an opportunist like Israel's King Jeroboam. Jeroboam II recovered territory Israel lost to Syria. He restores Israel’s border from Lebo-hamath in the north (about 50 miles/80 km northwest of Damascus), to the Dead Sea in the south. A prophet named Jonah, son of Amittai, said it would happen. Jonah came from the town of Gath-hepher.God helped make it happen
The LORD helped Jeroboam do these things because he saw how desperate the people had become. There was no one else willing to help them, free or slave. One more reason the LORD helped is because he promised not to let anyone erase them from the world. Those are the reasons he helped Jeroboam II, son of Jehoash.Edom and Judah gain land, too
Edom can't stop the young king of Judah, Amaziah, still in his early 20s and ambitious. After taking Edom, he challenges Israel to a battle. He loses, gets captured, and for punishment, Israel's soldiers knock down part of Jerusalem's city walls. Many citizens are taken as slaves.Moab's last stand
As for Moab, the combined armies of Judah and Israel can't break through the defenses of Moab's capital city, Kir-hareseth. Moab’s king saw he was losing the city. So, he took 700 swordsmen and tried to punch through Edom’s line and scatter the enemy. He failed and had to retreat.King sacrifices his son on city wall
Then he killed his oldest son, who would have succeeded him as king. He burned the body on top of the city wall as a sacrifice for everyone to see. Israel saw it, too. Angry and disgusted, they went home.Where to find more Bible maps
The Casual English Bible® has more than 900 Bible maps, many in 3D style. You can search for maps by place name, such as "Sea of Galilee."Dedicated Bible map search engine
But you can also search for maps by Bible book, such as searching for all the maps in the book of Joshua. In addition, you can search by country, region, or era on a timeline, such as when Israel had kings or when Jesus was on earth. Here's a link to the dedicated Map Search Engine.For more Bible features
Israel and Judah grab land
Famine, murder, revolution in Israel
Famine, murder, revolution in Israel
Famine, murder, revolution
Famine in Israel
Elisha met with the woman from Shunem, whose son he brought back to life. He told her, “The LORD is sending a famine here. For seven years we won’t have enough food to go around. So, you need to live somewhere else during that time." She did what the prophet said. She moved into Philistine territory and stayed there for seven years.The famine may have been started by Syrian king Ben-hadad's three-year siege of Israel's capital city of Samaria. Invading soldiers may have destroyed the crops. It takes several years to restart a vineyard burned to the ground, for example.
Murder in Damascus, prompted by a prophet
Elisha pays a visit to Damascus while the Syrian king, Ben-hadad, lies sick in bed. He's hostile to Israel, but apparently values the opinion of Israel's most revered prophet. So he sends a messenger to ask if he'll recover from the sickness. Elisha tells the messenger, Hazael, to lie and tell the king he'll recover. Elisha then cries and tells Hazael that he'll do terrible things to Israel.Hazael tells the king he'll get well. Then he suffocates him and declares himself king of Syria.
Hazael will declare war on Israel and begin to take some of Israel's land east of the Jordan River. King Ahab's son and successor, Joram joins forces with Judah's army to try to stop the Syrians. Joram is wounded in the fight and goes to his getaway palace in the town of Jezreel to recover. He will die there, assassinated by one of his chariot commanders, prompted by a message from Elisha (2 Kings 9). That would be two kings Elisha nudged into an assassination.
Revolution
Edom and the little border town of Libnah revolted against Judah during the reign of Jehoram, the king who went into battle with Joram against Syria, and lost. Edom may have seen that as a sign of weakness. The nation won their independence, and the Israelites never regained control of the land.For more Bible features
Famine, murder, and revolution in Israel
Jordan River cure
Jordan River cure
Jordan River cure
Seven dips underwater
An Israelite slave girl of Syria's top military commander, Naaman, said he could get cured of his skin disease if he went to Israel an asked the prophet Elisha for help. He would not happy, however, when the prophet refused to meet him, but simply told him to go dip himself in the Jordan River seven times.His mysterious skin disease
The Hebrew word describing the disease, ṣāraʽ, can refer to any serious skin disease that would make an Israelite ritually unclean, and unfit to step foot on the sacred grounds of a worship center. Skin diseases reported in the Bible may often have been what we know today as a simple rash or perhaps eczema or psoriasis. The word is often translated as leprosy, but there’s no way of knowing if Naaman had what we today call Hansen’s disease. It’s caused by bacteria that grows slowly and damages nerves, skin, and eyes. It can produce light patches on the skin. Hansen’s disease is curable today with steroids and antibiotics. Without treatment, lepers sometimes get injured and don’t treat the injury because they can’t feel the pain. Infection sets in and body parts are amputated.Naaman refuses to wash in the Jordan
Naaman left, furious. He said, “I thought he would take me seriously. Why didn’t he come out to see me and to call on the power of his God, the LORD? He should have waved his hands over the spot on my skin to cure me. But no, he’s sends me to the Jordan. I could have washed in the rivers of Damascus—the Abana or the Pharpar. They have better water than anything we’re going to find down here in Israel.” Naaman was becoming livid.He calms down and dips
His servants tried to calm him down. “Please sir, you know that if the prophet asked you to do something huge and hard, you would do it. Why not do it even more so, since he told you to do something so small and easy? Wash and get well.” So Naaman did what Elisha said. He went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times into the water. Then he came up out of the water with skin as healthy and as clear as you’d find on a young boy. (2 Kings 5:11-14)For more Bible features
Elijah’s chariot of fire
Elijah's chariot of fire
Elijah's walk into the wind
Elijah didn't die, according to Bible writers. He was carried away on the wind while his colleague, Elisha, watched as "horses of fire pulling a chariot of fire charged at the men—driving between them and separating them. Then a powerful wind knocked Elijah off his feet and carried him into the sky" (2 Kings 2:11). Elisha started screaming, “Father! Father! Israel’s chariots and calvary!” (2 Kings 2:12).Experts try to explain what happened
Scholars don’t agree about how to explain what just happened. Was it a theophany—a physical expression of a spiritual or celestial event? Or was it physical and literal—horses that could toast a hotdog? Was it physical and metaphorical—lightning and a tornado or maybe an intense thunderstorm associated with a powerful dust storm? Or was it a vision of heaven’s military carrying Elijah away.Did Elijah die?
What remains of the story is the teaching that Elijah never died. Jews today set a cup of wine out for Elijah at every annual Passover meal known as a seder. Some teach that Elijah will come before the Messiah comes, as one prophet seemed to predict (Malachi 4:5). Jesus later taught that John the Baptist fulfilled that prophecy (Matthew 11:14).Elisha's request
Before the windstorm, while still on the walk, Elisha asked if he could take Elijah's role as the lead prophet: “Please, let me be the one to inherit the position you’re leaving behind" (2 Kings 2:9). And that's what happened. A group of prophets in Jericho said so: “The ministry of Elijah now rests on Elisha’s shoulders” ( 2 Kings 2:15).Elisha's ministry
The Hebrew word for “ministry” is ruah, which has many meanings: breath, wind, spiritual essence of a person, spirit being. In the context of the story, the prophets seemed to recognize that Elijah’s ministry as Israel’s leading prophet had just fallen to Elijah’s apprentice, Elisha.For more Bible features
Jezreel Valley up close
Jezreel Valley up close
Israel's best farmland and frequent war zone
Josiah died here
A 3D-style map of Jezreel Valley up close gives us a better understanding of:- Why the valley is and always has been Israel's breadbasket
- Why Napoleon called it the perfect battlefield for his kind of warfare: stand, shoot, and die.
- Why King Josiah took his stand against the Egyptian army coming from the north. Think: Spartans at Thermopile.
- Why Judah's wounded King Ahaziah fled in his chariot to the Megiddo fortress to escape Jehu's coup
AI's view of the Jezreel Valley
"THE PERFECT BATTLEFIELD"
French General Napoleon saw this valley and declared it the perfect battlefield. Perhaps so, if you want two armies charging into each other with sharp objects. There's plenty of room to work up a speedy charge. it's the largest valley in Israel. It stretches out into a triangle about 20 miles by 20 by 12 (32km by 32 by 19).Bible-time battles
It rests at the foot of the Carmel mounts in the east and the Gilboa mountains in the southwest, where Saul and three of his sons died fighting an overwhelming force of Philistines. Gideon fought off seasonal invaders who made Jezreel they're staging center for raids on farms at harvesttime. Deborah, a prophetess with more courage than the nation's general, led the Israelite army to victory over an invading chariot corps. The general wouldn't go into battle unless she came, too. She took the Israelites up the steep slopes of Mount Tabor, where chariots couldn't go. She waited for a rainstorm, which seems to have trapped the chariots stuck in the mud by a flooding Kishon River. The invading army ran away, on foot.Jaw-dropping vistas
The Jezreel Valley, also known as the Valley of Megiddo, is a breathtaking expanse nestled in northern Israel. Its lush landscape is adorned with fields of vibrant crops, orchards, and quaint villages. Famous for its historical and biblical significance, the Jezreel Valley has witnessed countless pivotal events. It is often referred to as the site of the ancient city of Megiddo, an archaeological treasure trove showcasing layers of human civilization dating back thousands of years. The valley's strategic location made it a sought-after prize for conquerors and a stage for numerous ancient battles. Written part by AI Edited by MillerFor more Bible features
Jezreel insurrection
Jezreel insurrection
Chariot commander leads insurrection at Jezreel
The is what happened when one of Israel's chariot corps commanders, on a mission to crown himself king, leads an insurrection in the city of Jezreel, the king's getaway palace."At Jezreel, a guard in the city tower saw a group of people coming. He said, 'We’re about to get company.' ...
Joram said, 'Get my ride.' They brought his chariot and he rode out to meet Jehu. Judah’s King Ahaziah came, too, in his own chariot. The kings met Jehu on the property of Naboth, who lived in Greater Jezreel, outside the walls. Joram asked Jehu, 'Is it going to be peace, Jehu?' And Jehu said, 'Peace? How can there be peace when our people worship idols and practice sorcery, which your mother Jezebel brought here?'
ISRAEL’S KING SHOT IN THE HEART
Joram turned his horses around and yelled, 'Traitors, Ahaziah!' Jehu raised his bow and shot an arrow into Joram’s heart. The king collapsed in his chariot.Jehu told an officer named Bidkar, 'ump his body here on Naboth’s land. Remember back when we rode with his father Ahab, and we heard that prophecy from the LORD against him? ‘The LORD says that for the murder of Naboth and his sons, Ahab would pay for it on this plot of land.’ So, roll him out of the chariot and leave him here, since the LORD said it would happen this way.'
JUDAH’S KING SHOT DEAD
Judah’s King Ahaziah saw what Jehu did, and he raced away in the direction of Beth Haggan. Jehu followed and told his men, 'Shoot him, too!' They shot him as his chariot started to make the climb to Gur, near the town of Ibleam. Wounded, he rode to Megiddo and died there. Some of his soldiers carried his body back to Jerusalem in a chariot. His people buried him in the City of David among his ancestors.Ahab’s son Joram was in the eleventh year of his reign in Israel when Ahaziah became king of Judah." 2 Kings 9:14, 7-22, Casual English Bible
For more Bible features
Jezreel Insurrection
Three battles of Ahab
Three battles of Ahab
Three battles of Ahab
Israel's King Ahab fought three battles with Syrian King Ben-Hadad. He won two and died in the third one. In the first battle, Syrians invaded and surrounded Israel's capital city, Samaria. Then they made a bold demand and got a little cocky and very drunk. The story of Ahab's three battles starts in 1 Kings 20:WE WANT YOUR WOMEN
Syrian King Ben-hadad mobilized all the armies in his region. He combined the infantry, cavalry, and chariot corps of 32 kings of kingdom territories and towns. Then he took them to Israel’s capital city of Samaria and attacked. He sent this message to King Ahab in the city: “Your silver and gold are mine. Your prettiest wives and children are mine.” Israel’s king sent this message: “You’re the king. You’re in charge. And you’re right. I am yours and everything I have belongs to you.” Ben-hadad’s messengers came back with a reply: “Okay then, get everything ready for us—your silver and gold and your wives and children. About this time tomorrow I’ll send in my people. They’ll search your palace and the houses in town and they’ll take whatever they want.”AHAB REJECTS THE SYRIAN DEMANDS
Ahab called in Israel’s leaders in town at the time and said, “Did you see that? This guy is looking for trouble. When he ordered me to give him my gold and silver and my wives and children, I said, ‘Sure. Done.’ But that wasn’t enough. He wants to take them.” 8Israel’s leaders told Ahab, “Don’t do it. Don’t give into him.” Ahab told Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell the boss, my king, ‘I serve at your pleasure. Everything I have is yours. But they need to stay here.’ The messengers took Ahab’s words back to their king. Ben-Hadad had choice words for Ahab: “When I’m done pulverizing your town, there won’t be enough of it left to give each of my soldiers a little brag bag of Samaritan dust. If there is, may the gods do worse than that to me.” Ahab fired back his response: “A man armored for battle shouldn’t brag like the battle is over.” When Ben-Hadad got that message, he was drinking in the tents with the other kings. He gave the order: “Let’s go. Prep the attack.” So the army set up to launch the attack.AHAB DEFEATS BEN-HADAD
While Syrians prepared to attack, a prophet delivered a message to Ahab. “Here’s what the LORD says: ‘Do you see that overwhelming force out there? I’m giving it all to you today. It’s my way of reminding you of who I am.’” Ahab asked, “How?” The prophet delivered God’s battleplan. “Call up the elite warriors who guard governors of the provinces. They will win the battle for you.” Ahab said, “Who will engage the enemy first?” The prophet said, “That’ll be you.” Ahab called in all 232 elite soldiers from the provinces who were guarding the assembled governors in town. He also mustered an army of 7,000 regulars. 16It was noon when Ahab led his regulars outside the city walls. Ben-Hadad was in a tent, drinking himself into a deeper drunk, and relaxing with his 32 royal allies, each one a king. Israel’s elite corps of guards stepped forward, creating a first line of attack. Ben-Hadad’s scouts saw them coming and reported back, “Men from Samaria are advancing onto our position.” Ben-Hadad said, “Take them alive. It doesn’t matter if they come in peace or come to fight.” Ahab’s army of regulars followed behind the elite warriors. Each of the elites killed the first enemy he engaged. That was all it took to scatter the Syrians into a retreat at full speed. Israel ran many of them down. Ben-Hadad managed to climb on a horse and escape, with some of the cavalry. 21Ahab’s regular army charged the Syrians and inflicted heavy casualties on the cavalry and the chariot corps. 1 Kings 20:1-21For more Bible features
Stephen M. Miller's website , The Casual English Bible, and Bible YouTube channelKing Ahab's 3 battles with Syria
Ahab’s palace at Jezreel
Ahab's palace at Jezreel
Jezebel kills for vegetables
AHAB TRIES TO BUY A VINEYARD
Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel, next to King Ahab’s getaway palace. Ahab met with Naboth and told him, “I’d like to buy your vineyard and use it to grow vegetables, since it’s so close to my palace. I’ll give you a better vineyard for it, or I’ll pay you whatever it’s worth.”AHAB DEPRESSED OVER VEGETABLES
Naboth said, “Heavens no. I can’t give you the land that has been in my family for so many generations.” Ahab went home bummed, depressed, and mad because Naboth wouldn’t give up his inherited land. The king lay in bed and sulked. He refused to eat. His wife, Jezebel, came in and said, “What’s going on here? What has you pouting like this and refusing to eat?” He said, “Oh, it’s that Naboth. I offered to buy his vineyard outright or upgrade him to a better vineyard. He wouldn’t take either offer. He said, ‘No. You can’t have my vineyard.’” Jezebel said, “Is this how a king get things done here in Israel? Get out of bed, eat, and cheer up. I’ll get Naboth’s vineyard for you.”JEZEBEL ORDERS NABOTH STONED
Jezebel wrote letters to each of Jezreel’s city leaders. She sealed the messages closed by using the king’s royal seal. She told them, “Declare a time of fasting. I don’t want anyone to eat anything until you call a meeting and seat Naboth in front of everyone. 10Seat two men across from him—men who will do whatever you say. Tell them to say this: ‘Naboth curses God and the king. We’ve heard him do it.’ Then take Naboth outside and stone him to death.” 1 Kings 21:1-10For more Bible features
Stephen M. Miller's website , The Casual English Bible, and Bible YouTube channelAhab's palace at Jezreel
Elijah runs away from Jezebel
Elijah runs away from Jezebel
ELIJAH RUNS FROM JEZEBEL
QUEEN JEZEBEL GIVES ELIJAH ONE DAY TO LIVE
Ahab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah did and that he killed all the prophets she had been supporting. Jezebel sent this message to Elijah, “If I don’t end you by this time tomorrow, may the gods do worse to me than you did to those prophets.” Terrified, Elijah ran for his life. He ran all the way through Samaria and Judah. He didn’t stop until he reached the town of Beersheba on Judah’s southern border. He left his servant there. And he traveled another day’s distance deep into the southern badlands. He stopped in the shade of a broom tree and asked God to kill him. He said, “I’ve done enough. Bring my life to an end. I’m just as bad as my ancestors were.”ELIJAH TO GOD: “KILL ME”
Elijah stretched out on the ground and fell asleep under the broom tree. But a messenger from God tapped him and said, “Wake up. It’s time to eat.” Elijah looked up and saw hot food by his head. The angel had fried some bread over hot stones. And there was a jug of water, too. Elijah ate and drank and then lay back down to rest again. The angel came back later, tapped him to wake him and said, “Time to get up and eat. You need to eat or you won’t have the energy to make the trip ahead.” Elijah got up, ate and drank, and then continued his trip. The angel gave him enough food and water for the trip to Mount Sinai, 40 days and nights. There, he spent the night in a cave. The LORD asked him, “Why did you come here?” Elijah said, “You are the LORD, God of everyone, and I have worked hard for you. But the people of Israel have broken their agreement with you, destroyed your altars, and slaughtered your prophets. I’m the last prophet standing. But they’re trying to kill me, too.” 1 Kings 19:1-10Elijah runs from Jezebel
Elijah on Mount Carmel
Elijah on Mount Carmel
Elijah and Baal prophets meet on Mount Carmel
It's a battle to see which god will send fire to burn a sacrifice.
It's the God of Israel against the local god of lightening and rain
AHAB MEETS ELIJAH THE “TROUBLEMAKER”
When Ahab approached Elijah, the king said, “Israel’s troublemaker, is that you?” Elijah said, “I’m not Israel’s troublemaker. You are. You and your God-forsaken family. You quit on the LORD, and you started worshiping Baal. 19Tell the people to meet me at Mount Carmel. Bring the 950 prophets Jezebel feeds: 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah.BATTLE OF THE GODS
Ahab did just that. He brought the prophets and the people to Mount Carmel. Elijah told the people, “How long will it take you to make up your minds? If the LORD is God, act like it. If Baal is god, go ahead and try following him. But what makes you think you can do both?” No one answered... Elijah told Baal’s prophets, “So, go ahead and pick a bull and prepare your sacrifice. There are a lot of you, so go ahead and take the first turn. Don’t light the fire. Instead, ask your god to send down the fire.” They killed the bull, cut it into pieces, and laid it on the wood. Then they prayed to Baal, from morning to noon: “Baal, answer.” He didn’t. They danced a slow, rhythmic hobble around the altar they made. At noon, Elijah took a few jabs at them. “Pray louder. Maybe he’s meditating—yeah he’s in deep meditation. Or maybe he took a little walk to the outhouse. He might even be taking a power nap.” They prayed loudly. They cut themselves, too. They cut with swords, spears, and knives. They cut until the blood gushed out. This was one of their worship rituals. They kept it up until evening. That’s when it was time for the daily sacrifice just before the sun went down. No one answered themELIJAH CALLS DOWN THE FIRE
Elijah told the people, “Come close.” They crowded up around him. He repaired what had once been a stone altar to God, which someone had torn apart. He picked out 12 stones, one for each tribe of Israel—extended families descended from the 12 sons of Jacob. These are the people God named as Israel. Elijah used those stones to build an altar devoted to the LORD. He dug a trench around the altar. It would hold about three gallons of water. He stacked the wood on top of the stones, and he placed meat on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars of water and pour it all on the meat and wood.” 34When they did, he said, “Do it again.” When they did, he said, “Do it a third time.” When they did, the excess water drained into the trench and filled it. It was now time for the evening sacrifice. Elijah said, “LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, show these people who you are. Let then know you are the God of Israel. And let them see that I am a man of God, and that I am doing what you told me to do. Answer me, LORD, so these people will know you are God and come back to you.”GOD LIGHTS IT UP
Fire of the LORD struck the wood with heat that consumed everything it touched: meat, wood, stone, and water. When the people saw that, they were sold on God. They dropped face-down in the dirt and said, “The LORD is God. The LORD is God.” Elijah said, “Arrest the prophets of Baal. Don’t let one of them escape.” Elijah led them down the hill to the Kishon River Valley below. He killed them all there. 1 Kings 18:17-40God vs Baal on Mount Carmel
Elijah goes to Zarephath
Elijah goes to Zarephath
GOD SENDS ELIJAH TO ZAREPHATH
Here comes the drought
Elijah was a prophet from the town of Tishbe. That’s across the Jordan River in the territory of Gilead. He took this message to King Ahab, “I’m going to curse this land with a drought. You won’t see a drop of rain until I say so. And you can count on it, king, as sure as there’s a God in heaven—Israel’s God.”God sends ravens to feed Elijah
God sent another message to Elijah: “I want you to go back across the Jordan River, on the east side. Hide somewhere by the Cherith stream. You’ll get your water from the creek. And I’ll send ravens to feed you.” So, Elijah did what the LORD said. He lived by the Cherith stream east of the Jordan. Sure enough, ravens brought him bread and meat for breakfast and supper. He drank from the stream. After a while, the stream dried up in the drought. It wasn’t raining anywhere in the area.Selfless widow in a foreign land
The LORD send Elijah another message: “Go to the town of Zarephath, in Sidon’s kingdom. There’s a widow there. I’ve told her to feed you when you come.” He left for Zarephath. When he reached the gateway into the walled city he saw a widow collecting sticks. He called out to her, “Excuse me, but could you bring me a cup of water to drink?” 11As she turned to get it for him he added, “Could you also bring me a small piece of bread?” She said, “I don’t have a baked bite of anything in my house right now. What I have is a fist full of flour and a little jug of olive oil. These sticks you see me gathering are for cooking my last meal. I’m baking what I have for my son and me. After that, we die.”Elijah keeps the flour coming
Elijah said, “Hey, don’t be afraid. Go ahead and make that meal. But make me a small plug of bread first. Then make bread for yourself and your son. If you do that, the LORD, who is the God of Israel, makes this promise: Your jar of flour and your jug of olive oil will never bottom out until after the rains return.” The widow did what Elijah said. She and her son had enough food throughout the drought. Her flour jar never emptied, and her jug of olive oil never ran out—just as Elijah promised on behalf of the LORD. 1 Kings 17:1-16For more Bible features
Stephen M. Miller's website , The Casual English Bible, and Bible YouTube channelMap of Jezreel
Map of Jezreel
Map of the ancient city of Jezreel, with it's getaway palace of Israel's kings. It was located on the southern edge of the sprawling Jezreel Valley. Here is where an Israelite chariot corps commander launched a coup by assassinating the last king in the royal family dynasty of King Ahab and his father, King Omri.
Map Jezreel, Jezreel Valley
