In the first half century after Solomon’s death, two great empires dominate the political map: Egypt and Assyria. Other states play a modest or even insignificant role. In the conflicts that regularly take place between Egypt and Assyria, the smaller states choose a position: sometimes for the one, sometimes for the other.

King Omri is the first king whose name also occurs outside the Bible, namely on the stone of Mesha. This is a memorial stone with an inscription of King Mesha of Moab. This memorial stone was probably erected around 840 BC, about thirty years after Omri’s death, and was found in 1868 in present-day Jordan. The inscription records the victory of the Moabites over the northern kingdom of Israel. Concerning King Omri of Israel is written in this inscription: As for Omri king of Israel, he humbled Moab many years...And his son succeeded him, and he also said: I will humble Moab. Thus he spoke in my time, but I overcame him and his house, while Israel perished forever. That son who succeeded Omri is Ahab, though his name is not mentioned here. Mentioning such an adversary indicates that this must have been a formidable enemy.