Illustration created for this project.
Baasha
A king of the north who seized the throne by destroying the house of Jeroboam.
What we know — and how we know it
Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 1
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 2
Family & lineage
ScholarlyA caution is warranted for this figure: the 'Baasa son of Ruhubi' who fielded troops at the Battle of Qarqar (853 BCE) on Shalmaneser III's Kurkh Monolith is an Ammonite/Beth-rehob ruler, NOT Baasha king of Israel, who reigned roughly half a century earlier and is not named in any known inscription.
Kurkh Monolith of Shalmaneser III (British Museum) lists 'Ba'asa'; scholars identify him as a different, later Transjordanian figure, not the Israelite king.
Life, role & deeds
BibleHe seized the throne of Israel by killing Nadab and destroying the whole house of Jeroboam, then warred with Judah.
1 Kings 15:27–33
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Jeroboam
ScholarlyBaasha's reign is fixed only by the internal synchronisms of Kings; on Edwin Thiele's widely used chronology of the divided monarchy his roughly 24-year reign over Israel is dated to about 909-886 BCE.
Chronological reconstruction in E. R. Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings.
Where in scripture
1 Kings2 Kings2 ChroniclesJeremiah
1 Kings 15:161 Kings 15:281 Kings 21:222 Kings 9:92 Chronicles 16:12 Chronicles 16:32 Chronicles 16:52 Chronicles 16:6Jeremiah 41:9