Actually, why did Melville call Moby Dick’s enemy Ahab? The character Ahab in the novel has nothing in common with Ahab in the Bible. The former was resolute and the latter was irresolute. Jezebel has to tell the latter Ahab to get out of bed and stop moping and SHE will contrive to get him the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. Melville’s Ahab doesn’t hesitate. He is also vengeful and the Biblical Ahab doesn’t even have a chance to be vengeful.