Arje
A person at Israel's court during King Pekahiah's reign, killed in Pekah's coup
Arje is briefly mentioned in 2 Kings as a man who was killed along with King Pekahiah of Israel and another man named Argob, when Pekah son of Remaliah carried out his coup in the king's palace at Samaria. The biblical text gives no further details about Arje's position or role, but his presence in the palace at the time of the coup suggests an association with the king's inner circle. This event is part of a series of violent power shifts that characterized the northern kingdom of Israel during its final decade, a period marked by political instability and persistent idolatry among the nation's leaders. The textual uncertainty surrounding the verse where Arje is mentioned means his historical identity remains debated among biblical scholars.
Key events
Killed during Pekah's coup against King Pekahiah
Arje was killed along with King Pekahiah and Argob when Pekah, son of Remaliah, carried out a coup in the king's palace in Samaria with fifty men from Gilead. The event marked yet another violent transfer of power during the turbulent final phase of the northern kingdom.
Pekah's takeover following the assassination
After the killing of Pekahiah, Arje, and Argob, Pekah seized the throne and reigned as king over Israel. He too continued the idolatry that had characterized the kings of the northern kingdom.