Coup or coup d’état is a forceful seizure of power. The thirst and struggle for power is an ancient phenomenon. And the Bible which constitutes a substantial amount of history has a lot of examples to give us. Most of the events of coup d’état happened in the Kingdom of Israel which consisted of ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. A few events of coup d’état happened outside Israel.
Coup d’état in Israel
The first person to attempt a coup d’état was Jeroboam. When he received a prophecy from the Prophet Ahijah that he would become a king, that God would make him rule over ten of the twelve tribes of Israel, he used it as a justification to conspire and attempt to remove King Solomon from the throne.
But his conspiracy was discovered before it would come to fruition. King Solomon learned of his conspiracy to stage a coup d’état and wanted to execute him. But he escaped to Egypt and remained under the protection of the Egyptian king.
Baasha’s coup d’état
Eventually, Jeroboam became a king as foretold by the Prophet Ahijah. However, he greatly disappointed God, for he walked the Kingdom of Israel into apostasy, for he founded an idolatrous religion, which was the worship of the two golden calves, which was popularly called the sin of Jeroboam.
By the mouth of the same Prophet Ahijah who prophesied the coronation of Jeroboam, God pronounced doom on King Jeroboam and his household. King Jeroboam died after reigning for 22 years and he was replaced by his son Nadab.
During the reign of King Nadab, the first successful coup attempt happened. And the lead conspirator goes by the name Baasha the son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar. He plotted a coup d’état and removed King Nadab from power by killing him at Gibbethon, a Philistine city. And having killed Nadab, he usurped the throne.
To ensure that there would be no other claimant to contest with him for the throne, he killed all the family members of King Nadab and the entire household of King Jeroboam. King Baasha’s coup d’état was the 1st successful coup in the history of Israel. Reference, 1 Kings 15:25-28
Zimri’s coup d’état
Baasha became a king and reigned for 24 years. He, like Jeroboam, perpetrated idol worship in the Kingdom of Israel, and God, by the mouth of Prophet Jehu, pronounced doom on him and his household. Baasha died 24 years into his reign and his son Elah inherited the throne.
Just two years into King Elah’s reign, a power-thirsty captain of the army called Zimri conspired and killed King Elah while he was drunk in the house of Arza in Tirzah. And Zimri usurped the throne. Zimri killed all the family members of King Elah and the entire household of King Baasha to remove any legitimate claimant to the throne. Zimri’s coup d’état was the 2nd after Baasha’s. Reference 1 Kings 16:8-11
Omri’s coup d’état
Zimri became a king and took control of the capital city Tirzah only to reign for 7 days. For at the time Zimri seized power, the army was at Gibbethon waging war against the Philistines. When they heard of Zimri’s conspiracy, they refused to accept him as their king. Rather they consolidated the support for Omri and made him their king in their camp at Gibbethon. Then Omri led the army to match against Tirzah, besieged it, and captured it. Zimri, seeing that his end has come, committed suicide by burning the palace over himself. Hence Omri seized power from Zimri by force, leading him to commit suicide. Omri’s coup d’état is the 3rd of its kind. Reference: 1 King 16:15-18
Jehu’s coup d’état
Omri became a king through a coup d’état. However, he died a natural death and his throne was inherited by his son Ahab. King Ahab reined for 50 years and at his death, the throne was inherited by his son Ahaziah. King Ahaziah died without an heir two years into his reign. The throne was inherited by his brother Joram or Jehoram.
King Joram of Israel went to war against Hazael and the Syrian army and he was badly wounded in the war so he returned to Jezreel for treatment and healing. While King Joram was at Jezreel, Elisha sent a young prophet to Ramoth-gilead to anoint Jehu to become the king of Israel. Having been anointed, Jehu won the support of the army and he marched on Jezreel against King Joram. At Jezreel, Jehu killed King Joram and after that, he continued to kill the entire household of King Ahab. King Jehu’s coup was the 4th of its kind in Israel’s history. Reference 2 Kings 9:22-28
Shallum’s coup d’état
Because King Jehu fulfilled the will of God by exterminating the entire family of King Ahab, God promised him that He would allow his descendants to rule as kings over Israel up to the fourth generation (2 Kings 10:30). So King Jehu was succeeded by his descendants starting from King Jehoahaz, King Jehoash, King Jeroboam, and finally, King Zachariah. According to the promise, the Jehu dynasty should end during the reign of King Zachariah.
Since every word of God should be fulfilled, at the right time in the second year of King Zachariah’s reign, the instrument of the destruction of the Jehu dynasty arose. He was called Shallum. Shallum the son of Jabesh who was, likely, a military officer conspired against King Zachariah and killed him in Samaria, usurped the throne for himself, and reigned as king of Israel, but for just a month. King Shallum’s coup was the 5th of its kind in Israel’s history. Reference 2 Kings 15:8-11
Menahem’s coup d’état
King Shallum usurped the throne only to reign for a month. Just a month into his reign, Menahem the son of Gadi who was, most likely, an important military officer matched on Samaria, killed King Shallum, and usurped the throne. King Menahem reigned for 10 years. King Menahem died on the throne and he was succeeded by his son Pekahiah. King Menahem’s coup d’état was the 6th of its kind in the history of Israel. Reference 2 Kings 15:14-15.
Pekah’s coup d’état
Menahem who became king through coup d’état reigned for ten years and died and he was succeeded by his son Pekahiah. During the reign of Pekahiah, there was a conspiracy afoot to remove him from power. Two years into Pekahiah’s reign, a military captain called Pekah conspired with Argob, Arieh, and fifty Gileadites to remove Pekah from power by putting an end to his life in Samaria. Pekah usurped the throne and ruled for twenty years. King Pekah’s coup d’état was the 7th of its kind in the history of Israel. Reference 2 Kings 15:23-25
Hoshea’s coup d’état
Getting to the twentieth year of King Pekah, war broke out between Assyria and Israel. King Pekah and his army lost to the Assyrian army and, consequently, lost a great portion of Israel’s territory to the Assyrians, and some of the Israelites were taken into captivity.
While King Pekah was broken and subdued and the kingdom was in despair, a man called Hoshea the son of Elah conspired against King Pekah to remove him from power. In the 20th reign of Pekah, Hoshea who was, likely, a military officer successfully staged a coup d’état and removed King Pekah from power by killing him. Hoshea’s coup d’état was the last of them all, for, in the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign, the kingdom went into exile. King Hoshea’s coup d’état was the 8th of its kind in the history of Israel. Reference 2 Kings 15:30-31
Coup d’états in other nations
Hazael’s coup d’état in Syria
King Benhadad was sick and bedridden. He heard that Elisha was in Damascus and he sent Hazael his palace administrator to Elisha to inquire of the Lord whether he would recover from this sickness. Elisha replied that he would have recovered from his sickness, but he would die. It was revealed to Elisha that Hazael would become a king and he told Hazael. Hazael returned to Benhadad. When Benhadad asked for the prophet’s reply, he told Benhadad that the prophet said he would recover.
But the following day, he took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and used it to suffocate Benhadad to his death. And Hazael usurped the throne. Reference 2 Kings 8:7-15