Hazael

Hazael
(God has seen)
Ivory inlay possibly depicting Hazael of Damascus
King of Aram Damascus (King of Syria)
Reign	842 BC–796 BC
Predecessor	Hadadezer
Successor	Ben-Hadad III
Occupation	Court official

Hazael (/ˈheɪziəl/; Hebrew: חֲזָהאֵל or חזאלḤaZa'eL‎‎; Aramaic, from the triliteral Semitic root h-z-y, "to see"; his full name meaning, "God has seen") was a court official and later an Aramean king who is mentioned in the Bible. Under his reign, Aram-Damascus became an empire that ruled over large parts of Syria and the Land of Israel.

Hazael is first referred to by name in 1 Kings 19:15. God tells the prophet Elijah to anoint Hazael king over Aram Damascus. Years after this, the Syrian king Ben-Hadad II, probably identical to Hadadezer mentioned in the Tell Dan Stele, was ill and sent his court official Hazael with gifts to Elijah's successor Elisha. Elisha asked Hazael to tell Hadadezer that he would recover, and he revealed to Hazael that the king would recover but would die of other means. The day after he returned to Hadadezer in Damascus, Hazael suffocated him and seized power himself.

During his reign (c. 842–800 BC), King Hazael led the Arameans in battle against the forces of King Jehoram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah. After defeating them at Ramoth-Gilead, Hazael repelled two attacks by the Assyrians, seized Israelite territory east of the Jordan, the Philistine city of Gath, and sought to take Jerusalem as well (2 Kings 12:17). Hazael's death is mentioned in 2 Kings 13:24.