Ahab, Jezebel, and Ahab's seventy sons were all slaughtered. All the great man's priests, and his kinsfolk, were slain. And Elisha called together all the prophets of Ahab's faction, all those that worshiped Baal, and killed them all off. General Jehu was made king as a recompense for the services he had rendered to the Elisha faction. That was about 884 B.C. Usurpation, conspiracy, and bloody crimes mark this period. Intrigue, robbery, spoilings, lust, and degradation seem epidemic in these nations. When they were not fighting each other, they were warring with these barbarities. Elijah had undoubtedly a powerful party at his command when he prompted Jehu to revolt and assume the reins of government. He had everything pretty well organized when Elijah said, "And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth Hazael shall Jehu slay; and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay." "Yet I have left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal" (1 Kings xix, 17, 18). These seven thousand were no doubt his immediate disciples, not the commoner herd of people. He selected a man to succeed him, whom he no doubt knew well--a farmer, for Elisha was plowing when he was chosen as chief agitator, arch-conspirator, and inheritor of all the rights and privileges of a revolutionary leader (1 Kings xix, 20, etc.). This plowman, prophet, and conspirator combines in himself also the healer, preacher, and leader, etc. He cures Naaman's leprosy, causes iron to swim, brings blessings to some and curses to others. These knavish tricks succeeded with the ignorance and superstition of the day. The people could be swayed in any direction by a clever, determined, bold talker, consequently were easily excited into the committal of any acts, no matter how revolting or brutal. These political factions led by prophets and priests were not so gentle and polite towards one another as they are at the present day. The church ruled. Gods of either side alternately were in power. Those in power killed off those who were out of power. Whether it is Elijah or Elisha, leaders of the Jehova party, or Queen Jezebel, leader of the Baal prophets of the other party, the result always depends upon numbers and clever leadership. Ferocious brutality never ceases but for a short while. There is not a spark of humanity, no mercy, not an act of kindness or consideration. Menahem was king of Israel 772 B.C. He smote Tipsha and all that were therein. "And all the women therein that were with child he ripped up" (2 Kings xv, 16). Thus we have page after page marked with bloody crime in the book called sacred history, scripture, and what not. And alas! this is God's work, God's own book, God's own people.