14 Sept. King Ahab’s wife Jezebel encourages Baal worship
“Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel during Asa’s thirty-eighth year as king of Judah, and Ahab ruled Israel in the city of Samaria for 22 years.”
“More than any king before him, Ahab son of Omri did many things the LORD said were wrong. He sinned in the same ways as Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he did even worse things.”
“He married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal, the king of Sidon. Then Ahab began to serve Baal and worship him. He built a temple in Samaria for worshipping Baal and put an altar there for Baal.”
“Ahab also made an idol for worshipping Asherah. He did more things to make the LORD, the God of Israel, angry than all the other kings before him.”
(1 Kings 16:29-33)
Ahab became King of Israel on the death of his father Omri in c.874BC. He ruled from the new capital at Samaria for 22 years.
Ahab is often regarded as the most wicked of all the kings of Israel. The Bible tells us, “More than any king before him, Ahab son of Omri did many things the LORD said were wrong.” (1 Kings 16:30) He turned away from the LORD, and like his predecessor Jeroboam, he worshipped foreign gods and idols. We’re told, “He did more things to make the LORD, the God of Israel, angry than all the other kings before him.” (1 Kings 16:33)
Ahab married the Phoenician princess Jezebel of Sidon. Jezebel introduced Baal worship into the royal court, and Ahab promoted this new religion enthusiastically. He built a temple to Baal at Samaria, and he erected a sacred ‘Asherah pole’ to worship the Sidonian fertility goddess Asherah.
Spurred on by her husband’s enthusiasm, Jezebel soon set about killing the prophets of the LORD.
The photo (by Grandjean) shows the old port at Sidon, the birthplace of Queen Jezebel.
You can read more about Baal and Ashtoreth @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney2/48-the-jewish-world-of-the-old-testament/foreign-gods/