Jehoram (or Joram) was a king of the northern Kingdom of Israel. (2 Kings 8:16, 8:25-28) He was the son of Ahab and Jezebel. According to 2 Kings 8:16, in the fifth year of Joram of Israel, (another) Jehoram became king of Judah, when his father Jehoshaphat was (still) king of Judah, indicating a co-regency. The author of Kings also speaks of both Jehoram of Israel and Jehoram of Judah in the same passage, which can be confusing.
Jehoram began to reign in Israel in the 18th year of Jehoshaphat of Judah, and reigned 12 years. (2 Kings 3:1) William F. Albright has dated his reign to 849 BC-842 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 852 BC-841 BC.
His final known act was when he, aided by his nephew Ahaziah, king of Judah, fought unsuccessfully against the army of Hazael, king of the Arameans at Ramoth-Gilead, where Jehoram was wounded. It is likely that their defeat at Ramoth-Gilead was serious, for while Jehoram was recuperating at Jezreel, his general Jehu incited a revolt, slew Jehoram, and took the throne of Israel for himself.
The author of the Tel Dan Stele (found in 1993-94 during archaeological excavations of the site of Laish) claimed to have slain both Ahaziah and Jehoram. The most likely author of this monument is Hazael.
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“We Americans are the peculiar, chosen people—the Israel of our time; we bear the ark of the liberties of the world.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)