In the 9th century B.C., from the city of Jezreel, King Ahab rules over the land known as Israel. Wishing to perpetuate his reign by fathering a son, the aging Ahab has decided to marry Princess Jezebel of Phoenicia. Although the prophet Elijah and Naboth, the Minister of State, warn Ahab of Jezebel's widely known evil ways, he is convinced that political and trade advantages will also result from the marriage and dismisses their misgivings. When Elijah prophesizes that a curse will fall upon his house, Ahab placates him by promising that Jehovah will be their only god. Ahab assigns Jehu, a distinguished soldier, to meet Jezebel's caravan and escort her to the palace. Jezebel is so interested in the handsome Jehu that she abandons her caravan and rides ahead with him in his chariot. When Ahab and Jezebel meet, he quickly becomes enchanted by her and later asks Jehu to deliver some jewels to her quarters where the princess seduces him. At a post-wedding feast, Deborah, Naboth's daughter and Jehu's sweetheart, warns Jehu that Jezebel is very evil. Besotted by Jezebel, Ahab promises her everything, but when she asks that he build a temple to her god Baal, he tells her that he cannot deny Jehovah. Although he tells her that in his land it is the custom for a wife to adopt her husband's religion, he relents. Later, in the newly constructed temple, where Jezebel is the high priestess, she again seduces Jehu. After Elijah enters the temple and condemns Ahab for permitting worship of a false god, he prophesizes that there will be a massive drought in the land and that all of the crops will wither. After the prophecy comes to pass, the starving population rises up against Ahab and the pagan god. As Jezebel intends to conquer Israel, she resolves to end the famine by sending her priests to Mount Carmel to invoke Baal to produce rain. Elijah mockingly interrupts the ceremony, prays to Jehovah and rain falls. When Jezebel learns that prayers to Jehovah, not Baal, brought forth the rain and that her priests have been seized by the people, she decrees that Elijah and his followers will pay with their lives. Although Naboth exhorts Ahab to denounce Jezebel, he refuses, and many of Elijah's followers are forced to flee. Although still bewitched by Jezebel and accused by Deborah of betraying his people, Jehu helps them to escape. Jezebel then has Naboth arrested and stoned to death. This act brings Jehu to his senses and, finally rejecting Jezebel, attracts an army of followers. Later, Ahab is wounded in a war with the Syrians and dies. Elijah then annoints Jehu as King of Israel and Deborah and Jehu marry. Jehu then triumphantly leads his forces against those of Jezebel, who is slain by an arrow.