STORY OF OMRI

OMRI

The people wanted Omri to be their king.

Omri was Elah’s commanding general. Upon Elah’s assassination by Zimri he left off fighting against the Philistines at Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah, the capital. Did it get destroyed along with the palace? Zimri was soon defeated, but now the people were divided in their loyalties between Omri and a rival, Tibni. The civil war that ensued seems to have lasted at least four years before Tibni was dead and Omri secure on Israel’s throne. Omri, a powerful and ambitious man, purchased a hill and built a new capital city upon it, Samaria. This city figures largely in the subsequent history of the northern tribe kingdom, and in the prophets the northern kingdom is often called Samaria. Omri must have made quite an impression on neighboring nations, for in the records of the enemy Assyrians after this time Israel is called the house of Omri even after his dynasty was gone from power.

 The war against the Philistines, the  enemies of yje nation, was now suspended while the people of Israel followed leaders they chose for themselves.