His son Ahab continued building Samaria, evidently extending its fortifications with thick walls. He also built a temple to Baal and a palace for himself and his Phoenician wife, Jezebel. Excavations have revealed the ruins of Ahab’s palace, shown on the next page. That palace was known for luxury and exceeding wickedness. (1 Kings 16:29-33) Picture the prophet Elijah climbing to this city and walking the broad road to the palace, there to denounce Ahab’s Baal-centered evil.​—1 Kings 17:1.

In 1910 archaeologists found there potsherds with writing on them, recording wine and olive-oil shipments or taxes paid. But many of the personal names on them had the component baʹal.

[Picture Credit Lines on page 17]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

Garo Nalbandian

Inset: Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums; photograph from Israel Museum, Jerusalem