give us for the period of
the history of Judah following on the death of Ahab: First,
eight years of Jehoshaphat, from the 17th year of his reign
(1 Kings xxii. 51) to his 25th (and last) year (1 Kings
xxii. 42); secondly, eight years of Jehoram, son of
Jehoshaphat (2 Kings viii. 17); thirdly, one year of
Ahaziah, son of Jehoram (2 Kings viii. 26)--in all 17 years,
which must be reduced and condensed into the period between
853 B.C., the probable date of the battle of Ramoth, and
843, the equally probable date of the accession of Jehu. The
reigns of the two Ahaziahs are too short to be further
abridged; we must therefore place the campaign against Moab
at the earliest in 850, during the months which followed the
accession of Joram of Israel, and lengthen Johoshaphat's
reign from 850 to 849. There will then be room between 849
and 844 for five years (instead of eight) for the reign of
Jehoram of Judah.

The defection of the old Canaanite city of Libnah followed quickly on
this reverse,* and Jehoram was powerless to avenge himself on it, the
Philistines and the Bedawin having threatened the western part of his
territory and raided the country.** In the midst of these calamities
Judah had no leisure to take further measures against Mesha, and Israel
itself had suffered too severe a blow to attempt retaliation. The
advanced age of Ben-hadad, and the unsatisfactory result of the
campaigns against Shalmaneser, had furnished Joram with an occasion for
a rupture with Damascus. War dragged on for some time apparently, till
the tide of fortune turned against Joram, and, like his father Ahab in
similar circumstances, he shut himself within Samaria, where the false
alarm of an Egyptian or Hittite invasion produced a panic in the Syrian
camp, and restored the fortunes of the Israelitish king.***

* 2 Kings viii. 20-22; cf. 2 Ghron. xxi. 8-10.

** This war is mentioned only in 2 Ghron. xxi. 16, 17, where
it is represented as a chastisement from Jahveh; the
Philistines and "the Arabs which are beside the Ethiopians"
(Kush) seem to have taken Jerusalem, pillaged the palace,
and carried away the wives and children of the king into
captivity, "so that there was never a son left him, save
Jehoahaz (Ahaziah), the youngest of his sons."

*** Kuenen has proposed to take the whole account of the
reign of Jora