BAASA (Hebrew: Ba'āh, 'Bold' or 'Wicked'). - Third king of Israel (908-885 B.C.), son of Ahijah, of Issachar, commander of the army of King Nadab, he killed the latter while he was besieging Gibbethon and usurped the throne by exterminating the males of the dynasty of Jeroboam, as Ahijah the Shilonite had predicted (I Kings 14:10-11). He chose a new capital, Tirzah.

He was in continuous war against the kingdom of Judah, succeeding in invading the northern part and occupying Ramah, 9 km. north of Jerusalem. But in the last years of his reign he lost this advantage, having to face in the north the invasion (all of Naphtali) of Ben-hadad I, king of Damascus, first his ally and then allied with Asa king of Judah. The military setback alienated the favor of the people from him. The prophet Jehu ben Hanani foretold to him the extermination of his line in punishment for his idolatry (I Kings 15:33-16:7). Fulfilled under his son Elah (v.), the punishment remained famous in biblical history (ibid. 21:22; II Kings 9:9; Jer. 41:9).

@incollection{ec2_baasa_ebr_ba_ah_arditto_o_male, author = {Penna, Angelo}, title = {Baasa (Ebr. Ba'ĀH « Arditto » O « Malefico »)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {II}, pages = {617--618}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1949}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/baasa-ebr-ba-ah-arditto-o-malefico} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

About this entry