 In the 1 Kings passage, Ithobaal is labeled king of the Sidonians.At this time Tyre and Sidon were consolidated into one kingdom.Menander's comment that Ithobaal had been a priest of Astarte before becoming king explains why his daughter Jezebel was so zealous in the promotion of the Phoenician gods, thus leading to the conflicts between Elijah and Jezebel's forces described in 1 Kings 18 and 19.