1 Kings 22:1

Three years. This chapter picks up the thread of military narrative that is broken by ch. 21. These were eventful years in the history of Western Asia. Assyria was growing ever more powerful, and becoming a definite threat to the countries of Palestine and Syria. It is generally held that this was the time when, under the spur of the Assyrian threat, Israel and Syria temporarily composed their differences and joined together in a coalition against Assyria. It was probably this alliance that granted Israel and Syria a three-year period of peace. We know that Ahab and Benhadad were friends, at least for a time, because both fought together against Shalmaneser III at the battle of Qarqar.