Baasha

Baasha was the son of Ahijah, of the tribe of Issachar. He was the third King of the northern kingdom of Israel and he reigned for 24 years at Tirzah. He became king after assassinating King Nadab, who was the son of King Jeroboam. He then tried to strengthen his hold on the throne by killing all of the descendents of Jeroboam, so that none of the royal family remained.

This fulfilled a prophecy of Ahijah. During Baasha's reign, there was continuous warfare between Israel and Judah (the two kingdoms of the Jews after Israel split into two about 2900 years ago). Baasha worshiped idols. He was told, by the Lord, through a prophet, that because of his sins, he and his family would be destroyed. When Baasha died, his son Elah became king. The story of Baasha is found in 1 Kings, chapters 15 and 16.