Omri (disambiguation)

Omri, Hebrew עמרי, († 869 or 874 or 871 BC) was a king of Israel. His rule is to the years 876-869 BC = 7 years ( Albright ) or 885-874 BC = 11 years ( Thiele ) or 882/878-871 BC = 7/11 years ( Bautz, Church lexicon ) dated.

According to the 1st Book of Kings (1 Kings 16.8 to 28 EU) Omri was originally captain and general in the army of Elah. After Ela of Zimri had been killed, the people of Omri proclaimed on the same day to the king. He now marched against Zimri in Tirzah in the fight, but even this brought about. Thereafter, a portion of the people Tibni made ​​king. Omri reigned an unknown period of time in addition to Tibni, after whose death he became king of all Israel. After six years of reign he bought from Shemer for two talents of a mountain, the well was suitable for a fixing the system and enabled a wide view of the surrounding region. There he built a new city that could withstand long sieges of Samaria, which is now rising to become the new capital of Israel.

Omri is mentioned in cuneiform inscriptions of Moab and in inscriptions of the Assyrians, who long after his death described Israel as the "land of Omri " ​​or " House of Omri " ​​. Omri on the one hand described in the Bible as a statesman wise king, in terms of religious policy, however, it is even more negative than its predecessor assessed (1 Kings 16,25 EU).

The substantiated by Omri dynasty is known as the the Omrides. His son and successor was Ahab.