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party encountered Jehu and his troop. To the light-hearted question of Joram, "Is it
peace, Jehu?"^273 such answer came as must at once and rudely have dispelled any
illusions. "What! 'is it peace?' (until) so long as the whoredoms of Jezebel thy
mother, and her witchcrafts, the many?" the former expression referring, as
frequently, to idolatry (comp. Jeremiah 3:2, 3; Ezekiel 23:27); the latter to the
enchantments and heathen rites practiced in connection with it.^274 From which words
we also learn that in popular opinion Jezebel exercised paramount influence over her
son, and that the un-Israelitish rites prevalent were attributed to her.
With the short cry, "Deceit, Ahaziah!" Joram turned his horses' heads to flee into
Jezreel, when Jehu, drawing his bow, sent the arrow with such strength between the
shoulders of Joram that it passed out at his heart, and the king fell dead in his chariot.
Then reminding his "adjutant" Bidkar of the burden or punitive sentence which
Jehovah had in their presence laid upon Ahab, on the day they two had ridden behind
the king as his attendants, when he had gone to take possession of the property of
murdered Naboth, he commanded the body of Joram to be cast into that very plat of
ground, "according to the word of Jehovah."
Meanwhile Ahaziah, perceiving the turn of matters, sought safety in flight. Leaving
Jezreel aside, he turned sharp round the shoulder of Gilboa, and struck the direct road
southwards: "fled the way of the Beth-Gan," which we regard as another name for
En-gannim, the modern Jenin, at the southern end of the plain of Jezreel.^275
Unwilling to allow his escape, Jehu, while himself preparing to enter Jezreel, gave
rapid directions to pursue Ahaziah. "Him also smite - in the going up to Gur! which
is by Ibleam."^276 We can at least thus far identify "the going up to Gur," that the
neighboring town of Ibleam has been localized in the modern Bir el Belemeh, south
of En-gannim. It is here then that we must place the "ascent to Gur," where Jehu had
expected, although mistakenly, that the pursuers might overtake the chariot of
Ahaziah.
As we infer, the object of Ahaziah was to reach Megiddo in safety. That place has
generally been located, but, as recently shown, erroneously, at the western edge of
the plain of Jezreel, under Mount Carmel. In truth Megiddo lay in the opposite
direction - south and east from Jezreel - being "the large ruin between Jezreel and
Beth-shean, which still bears the name Mujedd'a."^277 This location of Megiddo
greatly helps the understanding of our narrative. As already stated, Ahaziah's hope
was that in reaching Megiddo he would have not only out-distanced, but out-wearied
his pursuers. And his purpose may have been to make his way to the Jordan,^278 and
along its eastern banks till he could cross into Judaea.
But in this hope, as we imagine, he was disappointed. Pursued to Megiddo, he fled to
Samaria (2 Chronicles 22:9). The knowledge that the sons of Ahab were brought up
(^)