Hazael

Hazael was king of Aram-Damascus from approximately 842 to 796 BC, anointed by Elijah at God's command (1 Kings 19:15) and later confirmed by Elisha, who wept foreseeing the atrocities Hazael would commit against Israel (2 Kings 8:12–13). He seized power by smothering the reigning king Ben-hadad and proved to be one of Israel's most devastating enemies, defeating Jehu's army and reducing Israel to near-extinction before being checked by Assyrian power (2 Kings 10:32–33; 13:3–7). The Assyrian records of Shalmaneser III and other kings confirm Hazael as a significant geopolitical figure of the late ninth century BC.