# Coups replace Jeroboam’s and Baasha’s houses Divided Kingdom · Draft · BSB Content revision: e50a56de763276bb · No editorial review date recorded [Citation / readable page](https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/reference/events/northern-coups/) [Open interactive map](https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/?event=northern-coups) [Markdown](https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/reference/events/northern-coups/index.md) [JSON](https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/reference/events/northern-coups/index.json) Date: Israel · Nadab through Zimri · During Asa’s reign in Judah Baasha kills Nadab and destroys Jeroboam’s house, but repeats Jeroboam’s sins. After Baasha, Zimri murders Elah and his household. The army backs Omri, and Zimri dies when he burns the palace around himself at Tirzah. These northern upheavals take place during Asa’s reign in Judah. A dynasty’s role in carrying out an announced judgment does not exempt it from judgment for its own actions. The prophet Jehu son of Hanani is not the later king Jehu. ## Primary Scripture [1 Kings 15:25–16:20 (BSB)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2015%3A25%E2%80%9316%3A20&version=BSB) 15:25 In the second year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned two years. 15:26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. 15:27 Then Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging the city. 15:28 In the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha killed Nadab and reigned in his place. 15:29 As soon as Baasha became king, he struck down the entire household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone who breathed, but destroyed them all according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, 15:30 because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he had provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger. 15:31 As for the rest of the acts of Nadab, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 15:32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their days. 15:33 In the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah twenty-four years. 15:34 And Baasha did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. 16:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, saying: 16:2 “Even though I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused My people Israel to sin and to provoke Me to anger by their sins. 16:3 So now I will consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat: 16:4 Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.” 16:5 As for the rest of the acts of Baasha, along with his accomplishments and might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16:6 And Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah reigned in his place. 16:7 Moreover, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands and becoming like the house of Jeroboam, and also because Baasha had struck down the house of Jeroboam. 16:8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years. 16:9 However, while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his household there, Elah’s servant Zimri, the commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. 16:10 So in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri went in, struck Elah down, and killed him. And Zimri reigned in his place. 16:11 As soon as Zimri began to reign and was seated on the throne, he struck down the entire household of Baasha. He did not leave a single male, whether a kinsman or friend. 16:12 So Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, according to the word that the LORD had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet. 16:13 This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols. 16:14 As for the rest of the acts of Elah, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16:15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines, 16:16 and the people in the camp heard that Zimri had conspired against the king and struck him down. So there in the camp that very day, all Israel proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel. 16:17 Then Omri and all the Israelites marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 16:18 When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down upon himself. So he died 16:19 because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD and following the example of Jeroboam and the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit. 16:20 As for the rest of the acts of Zimri and the treason he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ## Related Scripture [1 Kings 14:10–14 · prophecy](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2014%3A10%E2%80%9314&version=BSB) Ahijah’s warning precedes the end of Jeroboam’s dynasty. ## Location evidence Tell el-Farah North is a proposed Tirzah, the capital in several of these accounts. Nadab’s death at Gibbethon occurs elsewhere and is not pinned here. Event map marker: Proposed site; \[longitude, latitude\] = \[35.3378, 32.2874\]. This is a teaching marker, not an exact event venue. Tirzah: Proposed site. Coordinates \[longitude, latitude\]: \[35.3378, 32.2874\]. Classification source: editorial. [OpenBible.info: Tirzah (CC BY 4.0)](https://www.openbible.info/geo/ancient/a80d317/tirzah) [OpenBible.info: Tirzah (CC BY 4.0)](https://www.openbible.info/geo/ancient/a80d317/tirzah) ## For the class Why does replacing a ruler fail to change the pattern of the kingdom? ## Interpretation and reuse Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review. Record source: editorial (content/authored/divided-kingdom.json) Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0. Teaching stops, summaries and regional extents are original editorial content of this atlas. Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm [Use this atlas with AI / data documentation](https://wilderness-scripture-atlas.pages.dev/reference/ai/)