Jehosphaphat (-908 to -849)

Jehoshaphat took part in the war that Ahab waged against the Syrians to capture Ramoth-Gilead. They departed from Samaria, the capital of the Kingdom of Northern Israel. Before the war, Jehoshaphat wanted to ask the LORD (YHWH) for guidance. Ahab gathered 400 prophets who all declared that Allah would give him victory.

With this warning, Ahab entered the battle disguised as a soldier, while Jehoshaphat advanced in his royal garb. The king of Syria had ordered his soldiers to fight only with the king of Israel (Ahab), not with Jehoshaphat. So, when in that war the Aramaic armies surrounded Jehoshaphat and saw that he was not Ahab, they withdrew from him. But someone drew his arrow and fired indiscriminately and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. Then Ahab said to the chariot driver: "Turn! Take me out of the battle, because I'm already wounded."

But the battle became even more intense that day, and the king was kept in the chariot opposite the Syrian, until he died at sunset. With that everyone returned to their homes and the war ended fruitlessly. Because of this friendship with wicked king Ahab, the Lord rebuked Jehoshaphat through the prophet Yehu son of Hanani.

Jehoshaphat decided to seek God's help. He called upon all Judah to fast. Yahaziel son of Zechariah son of Benaiah son of Mata, a Levite from the children of Asaph, had the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation, saying, "Do not be afraid and be alarmed because of this great army, for you are not fighting but God." The army of Judah was sent down to attack while the enemy army was climbing the ascent of Zis, at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel but did not have to fight. Instead, Jehoshaphat raised up those who were to sing songs to the Lord and praise the Lord in their holy clothing, which was bright when they went out before the armed men.

When the army of Judah started shouting and singing hymns, the Moabites and Ammonites destroyed the inhabitants of Seir (Edom), and then they killed each other. When the army of Judah arrived at the viewing place in the wilderness, they turned to the army. It appeared that all had become carcasses lying on the ground, no one escaped. Then Jehoshaphat and his men went down to plunder their belongings. They found a great deal of livestock, possessions, clothing and valuables. They took more than they could carry.

For three days they plundered these things, because there were so many. On the fourth day they gathered to praise the LORD in a place which was later called the Valley of Praise because of this incident.

Jehoshaphat made an unsuccessful attempt to reopen Solomon's voyages of trading with Ophir. Jehoshaphat made the ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but the ships did not go there, for the ships broke up at Ezion-geber, where they were made.

This failure was thought to be because King Jehoshaphat agreed to cooperate with King Ahazia, the son of Ahab, who was wicked, although later Jehoshaphat refused. This is in accordance with the prophecy of Eliezer bin Dodawa of Maresa.

God was pleased to bring water from Edom, for King Jehoshaphat was with them. The army defeated the Moabites, tore down the cities, and covered every good field with stones, because everyone was throwing stones on it. They closed all springs and felled every good tree, until only Kir-Hareset was left, but the city was shot at by slingers from all over. When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too much for him, he took seven hundred swordsmen with him to break into King Edom's direction, but to no avail. Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him a burnt offering on the wall. But the Israelites were so angry (or afraid) that they left him and returned to their land. Several years later, after Jehoshaphat died, Mesa managed to escape from Israel and wrote his victory on the "Mesa Inscription".