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Ethbaal

Ethbaal, also rendered Ithbaal or Ethbaʿl, is a name that appears in the Hebrew Bible as the king of the Sidonians (the Zidonians) and the father of Jezebel. The biblical text presents him as a Baal-worshiping ruler who is the father-in-law of Ahab, the king of the northern Kingdom of Israel.

In the biblical narrative, Jezebel is described as the daughter of Ethbaal, whom King Ahab marries in

The name Ethbaal itself is understood to mean “Ba’al is with” or “Baal is with us,” reflecting

Ethbaal remains significant primarily for his role in biblical narratives as the father of Jezebel and as

the
aftermath
of
his
accession
to
the
throne.
This
marriage
is
presented
as
a
political
and
religious
alliance
that
helps
promote
the
worship
of
Baal
in
Israel.
Ethbaal’s
association
with
Baal
worship
is
used
in
the
text
to
illustrate
the
spread
of
Phoenician
religious
practices
into
the
northern
kingdom.
a
common
Phoenician
royal
onomastic
element.
The
figure’s
historicity
outside
of
the
biblical
account
is
uncertain,
and
there
is
little
corroborating
non-biblical
evidence
naming
a
Sidonian
king
Ethbaal
who
matched
the
biblical
description.
Some
scholars
connect
the
biblical
Ethbaal
to
Phoenician
rulers
attested
in
other
sources
with
similar
names
(such
as
Ithbaal/Eshbaal)
but
no
definitive,
contemporary
inscription
confirms
the
identity
or
reign
of
the
Ethbaal
of
Jezebel’s
father.
an
emblem
of
Baal
worship’s
influence
in
the
politics
of
the
Israelite
and
Phoenician
worlds.
See
also
Jezebel,
Ahab,
Baal.