ABSTRACT
During that period, the kingdom of Israel ourished politically, economically and architecturally (Kelle 2007: 29-30). King Ahab was one of the most important participant leaders of the anti-Assyrian coalition. “Assyrian, Moabite and Aramaic royal inscriptions indicate that under the Omrides Israel became one of the leading powers in the Syro-Palestinian arena” (Na’aman 2007b: 407-8). Israelite territory expanded from Dan in the north to Beer-sheba in the south (Finkelstein 2007b: 152). e absence of Judah and Moab from the list of antiShalmaneser allies reects their vassalage to Israel. oroughly slandered by the editors of the book of Kings, the dynasty of Omri had approximately represented for Israel the importance these very editors attributed to David and Solomon (Knauf 2009a: 1).
