jehu

Jehu is a figure in the Hebrew Bible who becomes king of the northern Kingdom of Israel. He is described as the son of Nimshi and a commander in the military under Jehoram of Israel. According to the Deuteronomistic history, he is secretly anointed by a prophet at the command of the prophet Elisha to overthrow the house of Ahab and assume kingship.

Jehu’s rise to power follows a rapid coup. He kills Jehoram, king of Israel, at Jezreel, and soon after murders Ahaziah, king of Judah, who is visiting Jehoram for healing. He then proceeds to exterminate the remaining members of Ahab’s royal family in Israel. Jezebel dies when she is thrown from a window and her body is reportedly devoured by dogs. Jehu also orders the destruction of the cult of Baal in Israel, killing Baal’s prophets and toppling Baal temples.

Religiously, Jehu is described as purging Baal worship, but the biblical narrative notes that he does not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who instituted worship at the golden calves in Bethel and Dan. Thus his reforms are portrayed as selective, aligning with a monarchic coup as much as a theological realignment.

Jehu’s reign in Samaria is dated by biblical chronology to roughly the late 9th century BCE, lasting about 28 years, after which his son Jehoahaz (Jehu’s successor) takes the throne. Historically, the extent and details of Jehu’s acts are debated, and much of the account derives from biblical sources with limited corroboration in external records. Jehu remains a pivotal figure for his role in the collapse of the Omride dynasty and the consolidation of the northern kingdom.