Hazael

Hazael is a gender-neutral name of Hebrew origin, meaning “one who sees God.” Parents are likely to be more familiar with its feminine variant, Hazel; however, Hazael has a riveting past. During the 9th century BCE, King Hazael reigned the Syrian city of Damascus after the death of Ben-Hadad. When Ben-Hadad was ill, he sent Hazael to the prophet Elisha to ask about his recovery chances. Elisha prophesied that the reigning King would die and Hazael would succeed him. Hazael returned to Ben-Hadad to kill him and ruled for many years following his death. Although appearing brutal and unkind, Hazael was featured at length in the Torah and has become a well-known biblical and cultural figure throughout the centuries.