Zimri (
Hebrew: , ''Zīmrī'',
lit. ''"praiseworthy"'', also transliterated as Zambri due to a Greek corruption of
Omri
Omri ( ; he, , ''‘Omrī''; akk, 𒄷𒌝𒊑𒄿 ''Ḫûmrî'' 'ḫu-um-ri-i'' fl. 9th century BC) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the sixth king of Israel. He was a successful military campaigner who extended the northern kingdom of ...
), was the fifth king of
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. His reign lasted only seven days.
William F. Albright
William Foxwell Albright (May 24, 1891– September 19, 1971) was an American archaeologist, biblical scholar, philologist, and expert on ceramics. He is considered "one of the twentieth century's most influential American biblical scholars."
...
has dated his reign to
876 BCE, while
E. R. Thiele offers the date
885 BCE. His story is told in ''
1 Kings
The Book of Kings (, '' Sēfer Məlāḵīm'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Kings) in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of Israel also including the books ...
'', Chapter 16.
Ancestry
According to
Louis Ginzberg
Louis Ginzberg ( he, לוי גינצבורג, ''Levy Gintzburg''; russian: Леви Гинцберг, ''Levy Ginzberg''; November 28, 1873 – November 11, 1953) was a Russian-born American rabbi and Talmudic scholar of Lithuanian-Jewish desce ...
, Zimri was the only monarch born from the
Tribe of Simeon
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Simeon (; he, ''Šīm‘ōn'', "hearkening/listening/understanding/empathizing") was one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Book of Judges locates its territory inside the boundaries of the Tribe of ...
. Reportedly, this Tribe never received a blessing from
Moses
Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...
, and did not have an impact in the royal successions of Israel.
[Ginznberg (1998), p. 155]
In ''Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright'' (1902),
J. H. Allen suggested that Zimri was a descendant of
Zerah
Zerah or Zérach ( / "sunrise" Standard Hebrew ''Zéraḥ'' / ''Záraḥ'', Tiberian Hebrew ''Zéraḥ'' / ''Zāraḥ'') refers to several different people in the Hebrew Bible.For the etymology see
An Edomite
Zerah was the name of an Edomite ch ...
. Zerah is a character in the
Book of Genesis
The Book of Genesis (from Greek ; Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית ''Bəreʾšīt'', "In hebeginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its first word, ( "In the beginning") ...
, one of the twin sons of
Judah and
Tamar. Zerah was the twin brother
Perez, and one of the founding members of the
Tribe of Judah
According to the Hebrew Bible, the tribe of Judah (, ''Shevet Yehudah'') was one of the twelve Tribes of Israel, named after Judah, the son of Jacob. Judah was the first tribe to take its place in the Land of Israel, occupying the southern ...
.
[Allen (1997), pp. 199–207] Allen's speculation was based on the
Books of Chronicles
The Book of Chronicles ( he, דִּבְרֵי־הַיָּמִים ) is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Chronicles) in the Christian Old Testament. Chronicles is the final book of the Hebrew Bible, concluding the third sect ...
. In 1 Chronicles 2:6, another character called "Zimri" is listed among the five sons of Zerah:
[Allen (1997), pp. 199–207]
Allen thought it likely that Zimri, son of Zerah was a namesake ancestor of King Zimri.
[Allen (1997), pp. 199–207]
Tomoo Ishida suggested instead that the narrative of dynastic instability in the Kingdom of Israel suggests an underlying rivalry among tribes for its throne.
[Ishida (1977), pp. 171–183] In the biblical narrative, the
House of Jeroboam
The House of Jeroboam or Jeroboam dynasty was a reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Israel. They are depicted in the first of the Books of Kings. Their estimated reign is placed in the 10th century BCE. Chase (2010), p. 221
The house is named aft ...
was from the
Tribe of Ephraim
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Ephraim ( he, אֶפְרַיִם, ''ʾEp̄rayīm,'' in pausa: אֶפְרָיִם, ''ʾEp̄rāyīm'') was one of the tribes of Israel. The Tribe of Manasseh together with Ephraim formed the ''House of ...
, while the
House of Baasha
The House of Baasha or Baasha dynasty was a reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Israel. They are depicted in the first of the Books of Kings. Their estimated reign is placed in the 10th century BCE.Chase (2010), p. 221-222
Reign
This dynasty was ...
was from the
Tribe of Issachar
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Issachar () was one of the twelve tribes of Israel and one of the ten lost tribes. In Jewish tradition, the descendants of Issachar were seen as being dominated by religious scholars and influential in ...
.
The
Omrides
The Omrides, Omrids or House of Omri ( he, , translit=Bēt ʿOmrī; akk, 𒂍𒄷𒌝𒊑𒄿, translit=bīt-Ḫûmrî) were a ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) founded by King Omri. According to the Bible, the Omride rulers of ...
are connected in this narrative with the city of
Jezreel, where they maintained a second palace. According to the
Book of Joshua
The Book of Joshua ( he, סֵפֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ ', Tiberian: ''Sēp̄er Yŏhōšūaʿ'') is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament, and is the first book of the Deuteronomistic history, the story of Isra ...
, Jezreel was controlled by the Tribe of Issachar. Ishida views the narrative as suggesting that the Omrides themselves were members of the Tribe of Issachar.
The assassinated
king Elah
Elah ( he, אֵלָה ''’Ēlā''; el, Ἠλά; la, Ela) was the fourth king of Israel, the son and successor of Baasha. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 877–876 BCE, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 886–885 BCE.Edwin Thiele ...
and Omri thus shared a "common tribal origin", and were possibly kinsmen. Omri and the Tribe of Issachar's opposition to Zimri indicates that Zimri was not a member of their tribe.
Ishida views both Zimri and his successor
Tibni
Tibni ( he, תִּבְנִי ''Tīḇnī'') was a claimant to the throne of Israel and the son of Ginath. Albright has dated his reign to 876–871 BC, while Thiele offers the dates 885–880 BC.
Ancestry
Tomoo Ishida instead suggested that the ...
as likely members of the Tribe of Ephraim, its candidates in an attempt to reclaim the throne.
But he also suggests another hypothesis, that Tibni originated from the city of
Gina (also known as Beth-haggan) mentioned in the
Amarna letters
The Amarna letters (; sometimes referred to as the Amarna correspondence or Amarna tablets, and cited with the abbreviation EA, for "El Amarna") are an archive, written on clay tablets, primarily consisting of diplomatic correspondence between t ...
(14th century BC). In the Biblical narrative, this city was under the control of the
Tribe of Manasseh
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Manasseh (; Hebrew: ''Ševet Mənašše,'' Tiberian: ''Šēḇeṭ Mănašše'') was one of the Tribes of Israel. It is one of the ten lost tribes. Together with the Tribe of Ephraim, Manasseh also fo ...
. So Tibni could instead be the Tribe of Manasseh's candidate for the throne.
Similarly, genealogist David Hughes speculated that Zimri and Tibni were members of the Tribe of Ephraim, and siblings to each other.
He further speculated that they were descendants of Hoshea, son of
Azaziah, one of the rulers of the Tribe of Ephraim.
Hoshea and Azaziah are characters briefly mentioned in the Books of Chronicles (I Chronicles 27:20), where Hoshea is a contemporary of David:
Reign
He was the
chariot
A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...
commander who murdered
king Elah
Elah ( he, אֵלָה ''’Ēlā''; el, Ἠλά; la, Ela) was the fourth king of Israel, the son and successor of Baasha. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 877–876 BCE, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 886–885 BCE.Edwin Thiele ...
and all his family members at
Tirzah, as Elah was drinking in the house of Arza, his
steward.
Zimri succeeded Elah as king. However, Zimri reigned only seven days, because the army elected
Omri
Omri ( ; he, , ''‘Omrī''; akk, 𒄷𒌝𒊑𒄿 ''Ḫûmrî'' 'ḫu-um-ri-i'' fl. 9th century BC) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the sixth king of Israel. He was a successful military campaigner who extended the northern kingdom of ...
as king. With their support, Omri laid siege to Tirzah. Finding his position untenable, Zimri set fire to the palace, killing himself. Omri solidified his reign only after four years of war with
Tibni
Tibni ( he, תִּבְנִי ''Tīḇnī'') was a claimant to the throne of Israel and the son of Ginath. Albright has dated his reign to 876–871 BC, while Thiele offers the dates 885–880 BC.
Ancestry
Tomoo Ishida instead suggested that the ...
, another claimant to the throne.
Analysis
In the biblical text, Zimri is introduced as the military commander who leads half of the
chariot
A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...
ry in the army of
Elah, King of Israel. The text offers no background information on Zimri, focusing entirely on the assassination of Elah by Zimri, and the subsequent extermination of the
House of Baasha
The House of Baasha or Baasha dynasty was a reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Israel. They are depicted in the first of the Books of Kings. Their estimated reign is placed in the 10th century BCE.Chase (2010), p. 221-222
Reign
This dynasty was ...
which Zimri orchestrated. According to
Marvin A. Sweeney, this lack of detail is a consequence of the ephemerality of Zimri's reign, which reportedly lasted only seven days. Other than his extermination of the House of Baasha, Zimri apparently had no historical impact.
The motivation behind Zimri's
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
is not stated in the biblical text, though it is "readily intelligible" from its context in the narrative. in the late years of his reign,
Baasha of Israel
Baasha ( he, , ''Baʿšāʾ'') was the third king of the northern Israelite Kingdom of Israel. He was the son of Ahijah of the Tribe of Issachar. Baasha's story is told in .
Reign
Baasha became king of Israel in the third year of Asa, king ...
had faced a military alliance against him, formed by the
Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah ( he, , ''Yəhūdā''; akk, 𒅀𒌑𒁕𒀀𒀀 ''Ya'údâ'' 'ia-ú-da-a-a'' arc, 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤃𐤅𐤃 ''Bēyt Dāwīḏ'', " House of David") was an Israelite kingdom of the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. Ce ...
and the
Arameans
The Arameans ( oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; syc, ܐܪ̈ܡܝܐ, Ārāmāyē) were an ancient Semitic-speaking people in the Near East, first recorded in historical sources from the late 12th century BCE. The Aramean ...
. The northernmost areas of the Kingdom of Israel were under the threat of an Aramean invasion, and Baasha had been forced to abandon his control over the city of
Ramah in Benjamin
Ramah (from Hebrew: "height") was, according to the Hebrew Bible, a city in ancient Israel in the land allocated to the tribe of Benjamin. It was located near Gibeon and Mizpah to the West, Gibeah to the South, and Geba to the East. It has bee ...
. In other words, Israel was facing a military and political
disaster
A disaster is a serious problem occurring over a short or long period of time that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources ...
, which likely undermined the political support for the reigning House of Baasha.
According to the biblical text, Elah was assassinated in the city of
Tirzah. Zimri attacked him within the residence of Arza, who was apparently the royal
steward. The sparse narrative offers no other information on Arza. The narrative does mention that Elah was suffering from
alcohol intoxication
Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main p ...
at the time of the assassination.
During his short reign, Zimri reportedly managed to exterminate the entire House of Baasha, along with their
kinspeople and their supporters. The narrative claims that Zimri was following an
oracle
An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.
Description
The word '' ...
, given by a
diviner
Diviner, also referred to as the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (DLRE), is an infrared radiometer aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, part of the Lunar Precursor Robotic Program which is studying the Moon. It has been used to create ...
called
Jehu
) as depicted on the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III
, succession = King of Northern Israel
, reign = c. 841–814 BCE
, coronation = Ramoth-Gilead, Israel
, birth_date = c. 882 BCE
, death_date = c. 814 BCE
, burial_place = ...
. Zimri reportedly left the corpses of his victims, the members of the House of Baasha, unburied. The corpses were used as food by the local dogs and birds.
The biblical text then mentions that the army of Israel was far from Tirzah at the time of the assassination. The army was besieging
Gibbethon Gibbethon or Gibbeton was a city in the land of Canaan which, according to the record in the Hebrew Bible, was occupied by the Tribe of Dan after the entry of the Israelites into the Promised Land. According to the Book of Joshua, it was given as a ...
, a city controlled by the
Philistines
The Philistines ( he, פְּלִשְׁתִּים, Pəlīštīm; Koine Greek (LXX): Φυλιστιείμ, romanized: ''Phulistieím'') were an ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan from the 12th century BC until 604 BC, when ...
. The implication here is that Zimri was free to act, because the absent army could not defend king Elah. Presumably Zimri hoped that he could secure his place on the throne before the army could react to his coup.
In the Biblical narrative, the army of Israel refuses to accept Zimri as a legitimate king, and instead elects its commander
Omri
Omri ( ; he, , ''‘Omrī''; akk, 𒄷𒌝𒊑𒄿 ''Ḫûmrî'' 'ḫu-um-ri-i'' fl. 9th century BC) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the sixth king of Israel. He was a successful military campaigner who extended the northern kingdom of ...
as a rival candidate for the throne, an
anti-king
An anti-king, anti king or antiking (german: Gegenkönig; french: antiroi; cs, protikrál) is a would-be king who, due to succession disputes or simple political opposition, declares himself king in opposition to a reigning monarch.OED "Anti-, 2 ...
. The text implies that Zimri used to be subordinate to Omri in the
command hierarchy
A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part.
Milit ...
of the army, and still had more influence on the troops than Zimri.
The narrative continues with Omri and his army rapidly marching towards Tirzah, and besieging the city. Zimri apparently did not expect such a rapid response to his coup, and did not have enough time to organize the defense of the city. The city fell after a brief siege. Zimri set the royal palace on fire and died in the flames, choosing
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
by
self-immolation
The term self-immolation broadly refers to acts of altruistic suicide, otherwise the giving up of one's body in an act of sacrifice. However, it most often refers specifically to autocremation, the act of sacrificing oneself by setting oneself o ...
over surrendering to Omri.
Following Zimri's death, the narrative continues with a
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
between the rival kings Omri and
Tibni
Tibni ( he, תִּבְנִי ''Tīḇnī'') was a claimant to the throne of Israel and the son of Ginath. Albright has dated his reign to 876–871 BC, while Thiele offers the dates 885–880 BC.
Ancestry
Tomoo Ishida instead suggested that the ...
. The sparse text leaves it unclear whether Tibni was a supporter of Zimri who took over the leadership of Zimri's political faction, or whether he was an opportunist who was merely attempting to take advantage of the
power vacuum
In political science and political history, the term power vacuum, also known as a power void, is an analogy between a physical vacuum to the political condition "when someone in a place of power, has lost control of something and no one has repla ...
created by Zimri.
William H. Barnes interprets the phrase "half the king's chariot" to mean that there were two chariot military formations in the army of Israel. Zimri apparently led a chariot formation stationed at the city of Tirzah itself, from where it could easily respond to military attacks by the Kingdom of Judah. The other formation, which is not mentioned in the text, was likely stationed at the city of
Megiddo Megiddo may refer to:
Places and sites in Israel
* Tel Megiddo, site of an ancient city in Israel's Jezreel valley
* Megiddo Airport, a domestic airport in Israel
* Megiddo church (Israel)
* Megiddo, Israel, a kibbutz in Israel
* Megiddo Junction, ...
.
Barnes suggests that Elah was attending a private
party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
at the time of his assassination. The writers of the Books of Kings used this occasion to express their disapproval of political or military leaders drinking to excess. Not directly stated is that Zimri took advantage of the party, to strike at Elah while his guard was down. The
host
A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it.
Host may also refer to:
Places
* Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County
People
*Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman
* Michel Host ...
of the party, Arza, was the supervisor of the palace. Making his position equivalent to that of a
majordomo
A majordomo is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, this is the highest (''major'') person of a household (''domūs'' or ''domicile'') staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a large ...
or
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
.
Zimri's elimination of all members of the previous reigning family was a then-"typical procedure", in order to avoid reprisals from Elah's heirs.
Despite holding a high-ranking position in the military, Zimri never receives a
patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
in the biblical narrative. This likely indicates that this monarch's ancestry was humble or obscure. The name 'Zimri" has been suggested to derive from the
Aramaic language
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
. Another possible explanation is that it was a
theophoric name
A theophoric name (from Greek: , ''theophoros'', literally "bearing or carrying a god") embeds the word equivalent of 'god' or God's name in a person's name, reflecting something about the character of the person so named in relation to that deit ...
, a shortening of the phrase "strength of
Yahweh
Yahweh *''Yahwe'', was the national god of ancient Israel and Judah. The origins of his worship reach at least to the early Iron Age, and likely to the Late Bronze Age if not somewhat earlier, and in the oldest biblical literature he posse ...
". If so, Yahweh was Zimri's
tutelary deity
A tutelary () (also tutelar) is a deity or a spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The etymology of "tutelary" expresses the concept of safety and ...
.
Barnes calls attention to the siege of Gibbethon in the narrative of Zimri's reign. A previous siege of Gibbethon is mentioned in the First Books of Kings, taking place in the last year of the reign of
Nadab of Israel
Nadab ( he, נָדָב ''Nāḏāḇ'') was the second king of the northern Israelite Kingdom of Israel. He was the son and successor of Jeroboam.
Reign
Nadab became king of Israel in the second year of Asa, King of Judah, and reigned for tw ...
, 24 years before Zimri's rise to the throne. Several writers have suggested that the implication in the text is the army of Israel had been intermittently besieging this city for 24 years, without ever managing to capture it. A testament to the military weakness of Israel under the rule of the House of Baasha.
The biblical narrative views Zimri's death in the flames as a "tragically heroic" manner of dying, indicating that suicide was not seen as a cowardly way to die. Zimri's suicide has similarities to
Samson
Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...
's suicide in the
Book of Judges
The Book of Judges (, ') is the seventh book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. In the narrative of the Hebrew Bible, it covers the time between the conquest described in the Book of Joshua and the establishment of a kingdom i ...
. The text describing the fire is vague enough to allow the possibility that Omri's army had set the palace on fire, instead of Zimri himself. However, the text otherwise indicates that Zimri chose the manner of his death.
The writers of the Books of Kings accuse Zimri of repeating the sins of his distant predecessor,
Jeroboam
Jeroboam I (; Hebrew: ''Yārŏḇə‘ām''; el, Ἱεροβοάμ, Hieroboám) was the first king of the northern Kingdom of Israel. The Hebrew Bible describes the reign of Jeroboam to have commenced following a revolt of the ten northern ...
. This is a standard condemnation, used in the narrative to
vilify every king of Israel. Zimri did not reign long enough to emulate Jeroboam's policies, or to commit the other sins typically indicated.
While a reign of seven days is usually attributed to Zimri, there is a divergent account in the Greek-language text of the
Codex Vaticanus
The Codex Vaticanus ( The Vatican, Bibl. Vat., Vat. gr. 1209), designated by siglum B or 03 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), δ 1 ( von Soden), is a fourth-century Christian manuscript of a Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Greek Old ...
. This variant attributes a reign of seven years to Zimri. The difference likely derives from the Hebrew term "Yamim" and how it was interpreted. It is variously translated as "days" or "years", and specifically translates to "years" in passages from the
Books of Samuel
The Book of Samuel (, ''Sefer Shmuel'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the narrative history of Ancient Israel called the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Joshu ...
.
Barnes notes that there is a discrepancy in the way the narrative depicts Zimri. He is castigated as a usurper and a traitor in nearly every passage of the narrative, yet treated as a tragic
hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...
in the narrative of his death. Zimri's suicide by self-immolation is not unique in ancient narratives. The legendary king
Sardanapalus
Sardanapalus (; sometimes spelled Sardanapallus) was, according to the Greek writer Ctesias, the last king of Assyria
Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , romanized: ''māt Aššur''; syc, ܐܬܘܪ, ʾāthor) was a major ancient Mesopotami ...
of
Assyria
Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , romanized: ''māt Aššur''; syc, ܐܬܘܪ, ʾāthor) was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization which existed as a city-state at times controlling regional territories in the indigenous lands of the A ...
supposedly died in this manner, and there are similar accounts on the deaths of the historical kings
Shamash-shum-ukin
Shamash-shum-ukin (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: or , meaning "Shamash has established the name"), was king of Babylon as a vassal of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 668 BC to his death in 648. Born into the Assyrian royal family, Shamash-shum-ukin was t ...
of
Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
(reigned 667-648 BC) and
Sinsharishkun
Sinsharishkun or Sin-shar-ishkun (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: or ''Sîn-šarru-iškun'',' meaning " Sîn has established the king")' was the penultimate king of Assyria, reigning from the death of his brother and predecessor Ashur-etil-ilani in 627 ...
of Assyria (reigned c. 627-612 BC).
Barnes notes that Zimri was the last king of Israel to use Tirzah as his
capital city
A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...
. His successor Omri transferred the capital to the city of
Samaria
Samaria (; he, שֹׁמְרוֹן, translit=Šōmrōn, ar, السامرة, translit=as-Sāmirah) is the historic and biblical name used for the central region of Palestine, bordered by Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. The first- ...
.
Hillel I. Millgram draws a number of
inference
Inferences are steps in reasoning, moving from premises to logical consequences; etymologically, the word '' infer'' means to "carry forward". Inference is theoretically traditionally divided into deduction and induction, a distinction that in ...
s, based on the available information in the sparse text. First, Zimri's coup was probably the result of "meticulous planning", and prepared in advance. Within a few days, Zimri and his unnamed supporters managed to hunt down and execute the extended royal family, along with its friends and its supporters. This suggests that the entire ruling circle of the Kingdom was swiftly executed. In Millgram's views, this suggests that Zimri had prepared a hit list which identified the intended victims. The executions were likely carried out by
death squad
A death squad is an armed group whose primary activity is carrying out extrajudicial killings or forced disappearances as part of political repression, genocide, ethnic cleansing, or revolutionary terror. Except in rare cases in which they are ...
s employed by Zimri.
Zimri's swift executions seem to have had a clear purpose, to prevent the formation of a
counter-revolution
A counter-revolutionary or an anti-revolutionary is anyone who opposes or resists a revolution, particularly one who acts after a revolution in order to try to overturn it or reverse its course, in full or in part. The adjective "counter-revoluti ...
which would oppose his regime. He probably expected the rest of the kingdom to accept the regime change as
fait accompli
Many words in the English vocabulary are of French origin, most coming from the Anglo-Norman spoken by the upper classes in England for several hundred years after the Norman Conquest, before the language settled into what became Modern Engli ...
, miscalculating his own influence over the royal army. The news of the assassinations may have caught Omri by surprise, but likely inspired the ambitious general to claim the throne for himself. Zimri's
purge
In history, religion and political science, a purge is a position removal or execution of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, another organization, their team leaders, or society as a whole. A group undertak ...
likely inspired
resentment
Resentment (also called ranklement or bitterness) is a complex, multilayered emotion that has been described as a mixture of disappointment, disgust and anger. Other psychologists consider it a mood or as a secondary emotion (including cogniti ...
among the troops, which Omri managed to use for his own purposes.
Millgram estimates a distance of between Zimri's headquarters in Tirzah, and Omri's headquarters outside the walls of
Gibbethon Gibbethon or Gibbeton was a city in the land of Canaan which, according to the record in the Hebrew Bible, was occupied by the Tribe of Dan after the entry of the Israelites into the Promised Land. According to the Book of Joshua, it was given as a ...
. A distance which an army could cover within two days of
loaded march
A loaded march is a relatively fast march over distance carrying a load and is a common military exercise.
A loaded march is known as a forced foot march in the US Army. Less formally, it is a ruck march in the Canadian Armed Forces and the US Ar ...
ing. The fall of Tirzah after a surprisingly short siege, allows insight into the flaws of Zimri's planning. The capital city lacked the provisions to endure a longer siege. Zimri may have found preparations for a siege unnecessary, or he devoted most of his attention to the purge instead of the defensive measures needed. The general population of the city would be unlikely to take risk in defense of the new regime, as this regime had been dedicated to killing part of the city's residents. The city probably fell with minimal resistance, and Zimri's suicide indicates that Zimri himself accepted the defeat of his forces. His main concern was to escape captivity at the hands of his enemies.
The narrative of his brief reign suggests that Zimri never left Tirzah. Consequently, he did not have the time to make a
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
to the holy site of
Bethel
Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanct ...
, which was a religious duty for the kings of Israel. Millgram makes the observation that the narrative in the Books of Kings presents Zimri as more ruthless and bloodthirsty than the previous usurpers of the king.
Jeroboam
Jeroboam I (; Hebrew: ''Yārŏḇə‘ām''; el, Ἱεροβοάμ, Hieroboám) was the first king of the northern Kingdom of Israel. The Hebrew Bible describes the reign of Jeroboam to have commenced following a revolt of the ten northern ...
had usurped the throne from the legitimate king
Rehoboam
Rehoboam (; , ; , ; la, Roboam, ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the last monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel and the first monarch of the Kingdom of Judah after the former's split. He was a son of and the successor to Solomon and a gr ...
, but did not actually kill Rehoboam. Jeroboam's supporters merely killed
Adoniram
Adoniram (; Hebrew, אדונירם, 'my Lord has exalted'; alternate form Adoram, אדורם '' 'adoram'', 'the Lord has exalted'), the son of Abda, was the tax collector in the United Kingdom of Israel for over forty years, from the late years of ...
, one of Rehoboam's subordinate officials. Baasha had usurped the throne from the legitimate king Nadab, by killing both Nadab and the extended royal family of the
House of Jeroboam
The House of Jeroboam or Jeroboam dynasty was a reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Israel. They are depicted in the first of the Books of Kings. Their estimated reign is placed in the 10th century BCE. Chase (2010), p. 221
The house is named aft ...
. But Baasha is not mentioned killing Nadab's other supporters. Zimri killed Elah the extended royal family of the House of Baasha, and their supporters. In this narrative of successive usurpations, Zimri's reign thus represents an event of
conflict escalation
Conflict escalation is the process by which conflicts grow in severity or scale over time. That may refer to conflicts between individuals or groups in interpersonal relationships, or it may refer to the escalation of hostilities in a political or ...
.
The suicide of Zimri plays a role in the narrative concerning the succession. It absolves Omri from accusations of
regicide
Regicide is the purposeful killing of a monarch or sovereign of a polity and is often associated with the usurpation of power. A regicide can also be the person responsible for the killing. The word comes from the Latin roots of ''regis'' ...
. Following Jeroboam and Nadab, Omri becomes the third king of Israel who has neither committed regicide (unlike Baasha and Zimri), nor is the son of a regicide (unlike Elah).
According to Edward F. Campbell, there is one distinctive feature of the biblical narrative concerning the kings Zimri and Omri. The military of Israel itself is the instigator of the action in this narrative, assisting in the elevation of both kings in power. No
prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
is depicted in this narrative, there is neither divine intervention, nor any hint of divine approval or disapproval for any action in this narrative. The narrative does not depict any
deity
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
, and any representative of a deity. The transition in government is thus not explained through an appeal to divine authority, unlike other narratives in the Books of Kings.
Robin Gallaher Branch has observed that the Biblical text uses the term "'ebed" (slave, servant) in reference to Zimri's social position before rising to the throne, rather than the term "mesharet" (free servant) which was often used for military officials serving the Hebrew monarchs. In his view, this suggests that Zimri may have been a literal
slave
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
who was entrusted with a military position.
Zimri's relatively high-ranking military position suggests that he had sufficient "brawn, brute force, and technical skill" to serve in this position.
In the biblical narrative, Elah behaves similarly to his distant predecessor
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
. David remained in his capital
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
during wartime operations, choosing to stay away from the
front line
A front line (alternatively front-line or frontline) in military terminology is the position(s) closest to the area of conflict of an armed force's personnel and equipment, usually referring to land forces. When a front (an intentional or uninte ...
s. David entrusted the leadership of his army to
Joab
Joab (Hebrew Modern: ''Yōʼav'', Tiberian: ''Yōʼāḇ'') the son of Zeruiah, was the nephew of King David and the commander of his army, according to the Hebrew Bible.
Name
The name Joab is, like many other Hebrew names, theophoric - derive ...
and devoted his own time to committing adultery with a married woman, Bathsheba.
Following David's precedent, Elah entrusted the leadership of his army to Omri, and stayed away from the front lines. He devoted his own time to alcohol drinking and attending parties. The behavior seems intended to prevent the kings from risking their own lives in war, and to use their soldiers to handle life-threatening situations. Yet, this behavior gave Zimri the opportunity to assassinate Elah, in the absence of most of the royal army.
Zimri was not the only Biblical character to commit
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
. The group of other Biblical suicide victims includes Saul, Ahitophel, and Judas Iscariot.
While the Biblical narrative depicts Zimri's boldness and willingness to take decisive action, his short reign exhibits only one outstanding skill of this monarch: Zimri was a "proficient killer".
Branch observes that the narrative implies that Zimri lacked administrative skills. He connects Zimri to a passage of the Book of Proverbs (30:21–22) which disparages servants who become kings, apparently because their powerful position makes them "excessively pretentious, arrogant, and disagreeable". Such behaviour by Zimri could explain why he lacked sufficient popular support in his conflict with Omri.
Legacy
The name Zimri became a byword for a traitor who murdered his master. When Jehu led a bloody military revolt to seize the throne of Israel, killed both Jehoram of Israel, Jehoram king of Israel and Ahaziah of Judah, Ahaziah king of Judah, and entered the citadel of
Jezreel to execute Queen Jezebel (biblical), Jezebel, she greeted him with the words: "Is it peace, Zimri, you murderer of your master?" (). In John Dryden's ''Absalom and Achitophel'', the character of Zimri stands for George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, the Duke of Buckingham.
References
Further reading
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{{Rulers of Ancient Israel
Zimri (king),
9th-century BC Kings of Israel
880s BC deaths
Regicides
Biblical murderers
Suicides by self-immolation
Ancient people who committed suicide
House of Zimri
Tribe of Simeon
Dethroned monarchs