Who was the king of Israel during the time of the prophet Elijah? Ahab was king of Israel during Elijah’s ministry. Ahab ruled the northern Kingdom of Israel after succeeding his father, Omri, and was married to Jezebel of Sidon.
The biblical account presents Elijah and Ahab as opponents during a period of religious conflict. Ahab supported or tolerated worship of the Canaanite god Baal, while Elijah championed worship of Yahweh. Their most famous confrontation occurred on Mount Carmel, where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to demonstrate whose deity would answer by fire.
Ahab’s reign also includes the story of Naboth’s vineyard, in which Ahab coveted Naboth’s land and Jezebel arranged Naboth’s death. The narrative uses the episode to condemn royal abuse of power. Ahab later died in battle at Ramoth-gilead, despite attempting to disguise himself.
Omri was Ahab’s father and predecessor, not the answer. Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, the southern kingdom, while Jeroboam belongs to an earlier period of Israel’s monarchy. Historical evidence for Ahab includes the Kurkh Monolith, which mentions him in connection with the Battle of Qarqar in 853 BCE.