As those who did the homework from the last post saw, in chapter 20 of 1 Kings, King Ahab of Israel is merciful to ben-Haddad the King of Aram. This same ben-Haddad had earlier in the chapter demanded Ahab's wives, children, gold and silver, and then launched a major offensive against Israel. Israel miraculously won the major battles and King Ahab frees ben-Haddad, calling him his brother.
One might praise Ahab for his great kindness in the face of cruelty. Perhaps, some might say, ben-Haddad will be overcome with emotion over the goodness shown to him and turn over a new leaf bringing an era of peace between Israel and Aram. And even if he doesn't, it is necessary to give him that chance. Of course, ben-Haddad does not usher in peace. Ahab's kindness enables Aram to retain its strength which they eventually use to kill Ahab to severely harm Israel.
Furthermore, we see that Ahab is not such a kind individual. For in the very next chapter, he steals a vineyard from one of his own subjects, Naboth the Jezreelite. How can we understand this sudden change of behavior?
How could Ahab have shown such great kindness to ben-Haddad, but such cruelty to Naboth?
One answer may be that Ahab held of a strict divide between royalty and the proletariat. Ben-Haddad, for all he was evil, was a fellow royal. Similar to divine blood found in Lewis' royals of Glome, who could only marry fellow royals, Ahab could, without pause, be kind to a fellow king, while cruel to one of his own people.
Should this be the case then King Lune may not have much to learn from Ahab's story. King Lune frees Rabadash, not from a sense of kinship between royals but in hopes that he will have learned his lesson and out of a recoiling from killing Rabadash not in battle. Thanks to Aslan, King Lune's hopes come true and Rabadash (though not out of the kindness of his heart) does bring peace between Calormen and Archenland.
However, our Sages read the story of Ahab otherwise and that understanding challenges Lewis' ending to the story of Rabadash.
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