Ahaziah

Ahaziah was the son of Ahab and the eighth king of Israel. He reigned for two years in Samaria, doing evil in the sight of the Lord and following the ways of his father and mother, Jezebel. (1 Kings 22:51-53) During his reign, Ahaziah formed an alliance with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to build ships to go to Tarshish. However, the ships were wrecked, and the venture failed. (1 Kings 22:48-49;2 Chronicles 20:35-37). Ahaziah suffered a severe injury when he fell through the lattice of his upper room. He sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, about his recovery. The prophet Elijah confronted the messengers and prophesied that Ahaziah would die due to his idolatry. Ahaziah sent captains with their fifties to seize Elijah, but fire from heaven consumed them. Elijah then went to Ahaziah and delivered the message of his impending death. (2 Kings 1:2-17) Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah, and his brother Jehoram succeeded him as king, as Ahaziah had no son. (2 Kings 1:17-18).