They thought she was bringing unity, progress and change to ancient Israel. She brought Baal, the storm god of Canaan. An epic Bible novel about the supernatural conflict between ruthless Queen Jezebel, fiery prophet Elijah and heroic warrior Jehu, protector of Israel. Hell is unleashed as the demonic gods of Canaan fight the archangels of God for control of the Holy Land.
Character Images created by Cam Harless and Brian Godawa.
© Copyright 2023 Warrior Poet Publishing.
Jezebel/Izabel
Daughter of King Ethbaal of Tyre. She will bring the cultural sophistication and religious pluralism of cosmopolitan Phoenicia to the backwoods nation of Israel. Though she marries King Ahab for foreign diplomacy, she falls in love with him because of his open-minded tolerance. But she’ll always be her daddy’s girl. And she loves her some Baal.
King Ahab
The warrior king of Israel who falls head over heels in love with his new bride Izabel of Tyre. He never dreamed a political marriage would bring such happiness. But he is haunted by the fact that his family dynasty began with a violent coup, so he’s paranoid of revenge. He builds up his war machine because that’s the one thing he’s really good at.
Athaliah
The young sister of King Ahab. She is taken under Queen Izabel’s wing to learn royal ways because Athaliah is pledged to marry a prince of Judah. The marriage will bring a cessation of hostilities between the split kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Ah, but she will learn a lot more than royal ways from her cunning Phoenician mentor.
Elijah
He heads the School of the Prophets of Yahweh. He’s a curmudgeon who perpetually annoys Ahab with his condemnations. But he is a prophet of Yahweh respected by the people, so Ahab maintains a healthy distance. Elijah is about to bring a confrontation of the gods that will upend Ahab’s kingdom and Jezebel’s plan for religious pluralism and peaceful co-existence.
Elisha
A star student of Elijah’s in the School of Prophets. But he is a revolutionary hot head who has a violent streak in him that may endanger everything Elijah has done for the school. Elisha is about to discover that being a prophet isn’t a job of glory, but persecution and death.
Jehu son of Nimshi
The Commander of the Army of King Ahab, and a close friend of the king’s from their youthful days. He is a man who values obedience to Yahweh and to Yahweh’s anointed king above his own life. But that dual loyalty is about to be brought to its breaking point and will jeopardize everything Jehu holds dear in his life, including his family.
Ethbaal
The king of Tyre and father of Jezebel. He secures his reign through subterfuge and treason. A treaty with Israel strengthens his economic power, and his forbidden incestuous interest in his daughter hastens his descent into judgment.
Hamilqart
A high priest of Ba’al, he has fallen in love with young Izabel in Tyre. And now with her rise to power, he is driven into despair from his separation from the only queen of his heart. What is he willing to do to regain her affection?
Joram
Son of Jezebel and inheritor of the throne. He rises from libertine to military commander and faces Jehu and Elisha in the ultimate contest for control of the kingdom.
King Jehoram
Husband to Athaliah, Jezebel’s daughter. He is brother of the king of Judah and next in line for the throne of that southern kingdom. He thinks he will bring about political peace between Israel and Judah. But since he stands against Elijah, he will only bring down judgment.
Obadiah
The palace administrator for King Ahab. A loyal elderly servant of the king, he is also a devoted follower of Yahweh, and for this, Jezebel despises him. He supports the Sons of the Prophets and the Rechabites against Baalism. But how long can he keep his treasonous secret from the Queen?
Susanna and Galina
Susanna and Galina are sisters from Megiddo. Susanna is Jehu’s strong and loving wife who struggles to get pregnant. Galina, who has lived a troubled life of bad choices and its consequences, shows up at Susanna’s door in desperate need. Susanna will do everything she can to help. But Galina holds a secret that spells the doom of them all.
Dido and Abibaal
A Widow of Zaraphath who takes care of the fugitives Elijah and Elisha in the very homeland of Jezebel. Elisha falls hopelessly in love with her, only to face the most difficult decision of his life: follow his heart or follow his calling?
Medad
Loyal commander of King Ahab’s forces who will face an ultimate test of loyalty when he must decide whose side he is on, Queen Jezebel’s or his brother in arms, Jehu.
Jonadab the Rechabite
An old friend of Jehu, whose Rechabite clan is fanatically devoted to both Yahweh and to making chariots and other instruments of war. In an Israel that is falling into Baal worship, this dangerous combination is the one thing that could bring about the coup that Ahab fears most.
Daniel
Jehu’s young son. He is twelve years old when he is taken hostage by Jezebel, along with his mother Susanna and Galina. Jezebel will do whatever it takes to bring Jehu to kneel before her. Whatever the cost.
7 Archangels
The archangels are split up to watch the separate nations of Israel and Judah, wondering what’s the point. But they are about to have their hands full when idolatry of Jews worshipping Canaanite gods gives those gods the spiritual power to rise up like never before within the very heart and soul of God’s people. The angels are about to engage in the battle of their lives.
Ba’al
The Storm god of Canaan that Jezebel will bring to power like never before in the northern nation of Israel. But Ba’al has his own troubles within his ranks as Mot seeks to destroy him. So his sister Anat plans to rescue him from Sheol.
Asherah
Asherah is a battle maiden deity who has as much power in Israel as Ba’al does because the Hebrews refuse to give up their Asherah poles of worship. Her prostitutes lie with Israelites under every green tree in sacred groves. She has some surprises for her lord Ba’al that he is not ready for. She’s a proponent of goddess liberation. You could call her “a goddess libber.”
Qedeshim of Tyre
The male and female temple cult prostitutes of Asherah, who lay with Israelites “under every green tree,” and shackle them to their idolatry. Galina will be captured and forced to become one of these “holy ones.” Will she escape before they enslave her?
Mot
“The mouth of Mot is never satisfied.” This underworld deity embodies death and is the eater of souls. He is the one Watcher god who can pin down Ba’al in the City of the Dead in Sheol. But he has even worse plans to betray the king of the gods.
Melqart
The Watcher of Tyre, known to the Greeks as Herakles. Melqart is another competitor for the throne of Ba’al. But judgment is coming to Tyre.
Three Goddesses
The three goddesses, Ereshkigal, Ishara and Ishtar, will stop at nothing to keep Ba’al from retrieving his mighty weapons from the city of Terqa. This is no knitting circle of gossipers. These goddesses have power and can take down a god. Ereshkigal is goddess of the underworld, Ishara, a tutelary goddess of divination at Ebla, with a hobby of weapons, and Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war, who has an axe to grind with Ba’al.
Chemosh
A sun god and supreme Watcher of Moab. So the Israelites called him the Abomination of the Moabites. He is not about to let any filthy Hebrews into his territory.
Molech
The god of the underworld to whom Israelites offer their children by passing them through the fires of sacrifice. A woman’s choice over the fruit of her own body. His cult worship is in the Valley of Hinnom, that will soon become known as the Valley of Gehenna because of the destruction that is coming.
Anat
The adolescent sister of Ba’al. The goddess of sex. But don’t be fooled, she is also the goddess of war and will slit your throat without a thought. Her favorite deed is to walk knee-high in the blood of her enemies.
Astarte
“Queen of Heaven” and one of the several “bitch goddesses” as Ba’al calls them, who are trying to usurp his male privileged throne. She believes Patriarchy in heaven is as oppressive as on earth. So Astarte is going to ambush Ba’al and bring him down to the underworld where he belongs.