BAASHA bā’ ə shə (בַעְשָׁ֔א, LXX Βαασα, possibly from a root meaning to be bad or offensive). Third king of the northern kingdom, 909-886 b.c. and founder of its second dynasty.

Hosea (8:4) charged Israel (the northern kingdom) with making kings but not at Jehovah’s direction or in consultation with Him. The history of Jeroboam’s kingdom proved to be a long succession of dynastic changes, nine in all, in which Baasha was the first conspirator. Jeroboam’s dynasty never reached beyond his son, Nadab, who was overthrown by Baasha, the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar (1 Kings 15:27).

Immediately upon overthrowing Nadab, Baasha took two steps to secure his reign, neither of which was successful. He slew all the remaining members of the house of Jeroboam (15:29), but after twenty-six years, two of which belonged to the reign of his son, Zimri conspired against his master and reigned in his stead ending Baasha’s dynasty. The second illfated step was the attempt to build a fortification against Asa, king of Judah, at Ramah. Asa stripped the temple of its gold and silver to make a league with Benhadad (of Syria) against Baasha (15:18, 19), whom the latter forced to withdraw from Ramah to Tirzah. Asa used the abandoned materials to build Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. War continued between Asa and Baasha all their days.

Although Baasha was used of Jehovah to bring judgment upon the house of Jeroboam (15:29, 30), he incurred the wrath of the Lord by following the pattern set by his dynastic predecessor (16:7). The prophetic (Ahijah, Jehu, and Elijah) denunciations of the sins of Jeroboam (14:11), Baasha (16:3, 4) and Ahab (21:19) classes the three together and manifests the violent fate which awaited them. Those who died in the city were to be devoured by dogs, and those who died in the open country by the birds.

Bibliography J. B. Payne, An Outline of Hebrew History (1954) 121-129; J. Bright, A History of Israel (1959) 214-218.