He was patron of the heathen cults that were so popular in ancientPalestine. His daughter Je zebel took his paganism with her when shemarried King Ahab, and corruped Israel. Many histor ians, such asJosephus, state that Ethbaal was originally a priest of Astarte whomurdered to g rab the throne of Tyre and Sidon. (Everyone in the Bible,by William P. Barker, 1966)