Ben-Hadad II

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Ben-Hadad II was a man around the middle of the 9th century BC. Ruling Aramaic king who resided in Damascus . However, it is controversial in biblical studies whether he is an independent person or identical to Ben-Hadad I or Ben-Hadad III.

Bible reports

The mentions in the Old Testament relating to Ben-Hadad II begin with his presentation as an enemy of King Ahab of Israel, but without mentioning the name of his father. Ben-Hadad therefore besieged Samaria with a large force at first very successfully, but later suffered a defeat. A year later he was again and decisively defeated by the Jewish army in spite of its great numerical inferiority at Aphek , but achieved his free retreat against the promise to return conquered Israeli territory and further concessions. After that, the people of Israel and Arams lived in peace for three years. According to Assyrian information, not only Ahab, but also the Aramaic king - not called Ben-Hadad, but Adad-idri (Hebrew Hadad-Ezer) - with 1200 chariots and 20,000 infantrymen took part in the offensive against Shalmaneser III. directed coalition of princes, the 853 BC Fought the battle of Karkar against the Assyrian king. Ahab later wanted to conquer the city ​​of Ramot-Gilead , which belonged to Aram's domain, but was fatally struck by an arrow in the course of the battle (around 852 BC).

The Bible mentions further struggles of the Israelites with roaming Aramaic armies when Ahab's son Joram was on the throne. As a result, Ben-Hadad laid siege to Samaria again, and the city soon suffered from famine. But through divine influence, the Aramaic army is said to have heard din like a force advancing on Samaria at night and concluded from this that a relief army recruited by the king of Israel was on the march; therefore Ben-Hadad fled with his troops. Hasaël finally eliminated around 842 BC. The sick Ben-Hadad and became the new king of Aram.

Assessment in research

Some of the Bible Students consider the Ben-Hadad mentioned in the 1st book of Kings 20 and 22 and in the 2nd book of Kings 5–8 - whose resulting biography was briefly detailed in the previous chapter - for an independent (hence as ben- Hadad II. ) Person. In this case he was a successor to Ben-Hadad I. William Foxwell Albright , however, considered him identical to Ben-Hadad I, who had ruled for more than 40 years. Finally, a third group of scholars such as Wayne T. Pitard assumes that the war reports given in Book 1 of Kings 20 and 22 and Book 2 of Kings 5–7 were more likely to date back to the early 8th century BC. BC and the reign of the Israeli King Joasch fit and were later backdated. Then the Ben-Hadad mentioned in these passages would be with Ben-Hadad III. identical. Only the biblical account of his murder by Hasaël could not refer to Ben-Hadad III. but probably rather to the Adad-idri described by the Assyrian sources as a contemporary of Ahab; the name Ben-Hadad was only used incorrectly afterwards.

literature

  • Wayne T. Pitard: Ben-Hadad 3) . In: Anchor Bible Dictionary . Volume 1, 1992, pp. 664f.

Remarks

  1. ^ First Book of Kings 20: 1–34.
  2. ↑ First Book of Kings 22: 2-36 .
  3. ↑ 2. Book of Kings 5, 2 and 6, 8–23.
  4. ↑ Second Book of Kings 6:24--7, 7.
  5. ↑ 2. Book of Kings 8: 7-15.
  6. ^ Wayne T. Pitard: Ben-Hadad 3) . In: Anchor Bible Dictionary . Volume 1, 1992, pp. 664f.
personal data
SURNAME Ben-Hadad II
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Aram
DATE OF BIRTH 10th century BC BC or 9th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 9th century BC Chr.