Jehu

Jehu, a prominent monarch of the northern Kingdom of Israel, is best remembered as the tenth king since the reign of Jeroboam I. His rule is marked by a decisive and ruthless campaign against the house of Ahab, which he sought to exterminate completely.

Born in the year eight hundred seventy-six before the common era, Jehu was the son of Jehoshaphat and the grandson of Nimshi. There is speculation that he may have been the great-grandson of Omri, although this connection lacks strong support from biblical texts.

His reign, which lasted for twenty-eight years, is dated by William F. Albright to the years eight hundred forty-two to eight hundred fifteen BCE, while E. R. Thiele suggests a slightly different timeframe of eight hundred forty-one to eight hundred fourteen BCE. The primary historical account of his reign can be found in the biblical book of 2 Kings.