18 Facts About Jehu

Jehu was the tenth king of the northern Kingdom of Israel since Jeroboam I, noted for exterminating the house of Ahab.

Jehu was the son of Jehoshaphat, grandson of Nimshi, and possibly great-grandson of Omri, although the latter notion is not supported by the biblical text.

Jehu was anointed King of Israel by Elijah the Prophet after the Lord spoke to Elijah in the cave in Mt.

Jehu was attended by Ahaziah, king of Judah, who was his nephew, son of his sister Athaliah.

Jehu initially dismissed the student as a "madman", but nonetheless told his companions about his anointing.

Jehoram tried to flee, but Jehu shot an arrow that pierced his heart.

Jehu later threw his body on Naboth's vineyard, to avenge Naboth, whom Jehoram's father and mother had murdered.

Jehu proceeded to enter the premises of the palace at Jezreel.

Jehu later commanded Jezebel's eunuchs to throw her out of the palace window.

Jehu trampled over her body, and when he decided later to arrange a proper burial due to her royal descent, only her skull, hands and feet remained.

Now master of Jezreel, Jehu wrote to command the chief men in Samaria to hunt down and kill all the royal princes.

Shortly afterward, Jehu encountered the 42 "brothers of Ahaziah" at "Beth-eked of the shepherds".

Jehu then destroyed their idols and temple, and turned the temple into a latrine.

Jehu was hard pressed by Hazael, king of the Arameans, who defeated his armies "throughout all of the territories of Israel" beyond the Jordan River, in the lands of Gilead, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh.

Yahweh rewards Jehu for being a willing executor of divine judgment by allowing four generations of kings to sit on the throne of Israel.

One more argument that Jehu was or styled himself as a descendent of Omri is the fact that he moved the capital back to Samaria, which was the capital in Omri's days.

Apparently, faced with the aggression of Aram-Damascus in the north and rebellion of the Moabites in the east, Jehu had no other options then yield to the Assyrians, who would resume their attacks at Aram-Damascus, thus relieving the pressure on Israel.

Jehu is portrayed by George Nader in the film Sins of Jezebel.