In this episode we visit two city sites in the Jezreel Valley, Megiddo (with a wealth of archaeological features) illustrates a major royal centre of power, and the smaller Jezreel a royal palace and capital.

These visits will lead to a consideration of stories of the reign of Ahab and of the place of kingship in ancient Israel. As we read 1 Kings 18 and 21 these beautiful and powerful cities stand in the background, Megiddo adjacent to Mt Carmel and Jezreel even closer to Naboth’s vinyard. The stories, if not the stones, raise questions around the ideologies and policies necessary to support such a manifestly strong kingship.

See also a post on Sansblogue)