queen of Israel
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External Websites
- Biblical Archaeology Society - How Bad Was Jezebel?
- Learn Religions - Meet Jezebel, Evil Queen of Israel
- Jewish Women's Archive - Jezebel
- McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Biography of Jezebel
- Ancient Origins - Jezebel: Slander of The Queen of Israel, Virgin of Baal, Princess of Tyre
- World History Encyclopedia - Jezebel
- Academia - Jezebel: A Study in Prophecy, Divine Violence, and Gender. Pages 509–522 in New Perspectives on the Book of Revelation (ed. Adela Yarbro Collins; BETL 291; Leuven: Peeters, 2017).
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
- Biblical Archaeology Society - How Bad Was Jezebel?
- Learn Religions - Meet Jezebel, Evil Queen of Israel
- Jewish Women's Archive - Jezebel
- McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Biography of Jezebel
- Ancient Origins - Jezebel: Slander of The Queen of Israel, Virgin of Baal, Princess of Tyre
- World History Encyclopedia - Jezebel
- Academia - Jezebel: A Study in Prophecy, Divine Violence, and Gender. Pages 509–522 in New Perspectives on the Book of Revelation (ed. Adela Yarbro Collins; BETL 291; Leuven: Peeters, 2017).
Also known as: Jezabel
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Quick Facts
- Also spelled:
- Jezabel
- Died:
- c. 843 bce
- Notable Family Members:
- father Ahab
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Top Questions
Who was Jezebel?
Who was Jezebel?
Jezebelwas the daughter of the priest-king Ethbaal, ruler of the Phoenician cities ofTyreandSidon. When Jezebel married King Ahab of Israel (ruledc.874–853 BCE), she persuaded him to introduce the worship of the Tyrian god Baal-Melkart, a nature god. Most of the prophets of Yahweh were killed at her command.
What is Jezebel best known for?
What is Jezebel best known for?
Jezebel has come to be known as anarchetypeof the wicked woman. According totheBible(Kings I and II), she provoked conflict that weakened Israel for decades by interfering with theexclusiveworship of the Hebrew godYahweh, disregarding the rights of the common man, and defying the great prophetsElijahandElisha.
How did Jezebel die?
How did Jezebel die?
Looking down from her window, Jezebel taunted Jehu, the general who had overthrown and killed her son. Jehu ordered her eunuchs to throw her out the window. Later, when he commanded that she be properly buried as a king’s daughter, it was discovered that, as Elijah had foretold, dogs had eaten most of her body.
Jezebel (died c. 843 bce) was the wife of King Ahab, who ruled the kingdom of Israel. By interfering with the exclusive worship of the Hebrew God, Yahweh, by disregarding the rights of the common people, and by defying the great prophets Elijah and Elisha, she provoked the internecine strife that enfeebled Israel for decades. She has come to be known as an archetype of the wicked woman.
Jezebel was the daughter of the priest-king Ethbaal, ruler of the coastal Phoenician cities (now in Lebanon) of Tyre and Sidon (Arabic: Ṣaydā). When Jezebel married Ahab (ruled c. 874–c. 853 bce), she persuaded him to introduce the worship of the Tyrian god Baal-Melkart, a nature god. A woman of fierce energy, she tried to destroy those who opposed her; most of the prophets of Yahweh were killed at her command. These cruel and despotic actions provoked the righteous wrath of Elijah; according to 1 Kings 17, he accurately prophesied the onset of a severe drought as divine retribution. Sometime later Elijah had the Baal priests slain, after they lost a contest with him to see which god would heed prayers to ignite a bull offering, Baal or Yahweh. When Jezebel heard of the slaughter, she angrily swore to have Elijah killed, forcing him to flee for his life (1 Kings 18:19–19:3).
The last vicious act attributed to Jezebel is recorded in 1 Kings 21:5–16. Adjacent to Ahab’s palace was a vineyard, which he coveted; it belonged to a commoner, Naboth of Jezreel (an ancient city at the foot of Mount Gilboa, probably the site of the modern Israeli settlement of the same name). When Naboth refused to part with his vineyard (“the inheritance of my fathers”), Jezebel falsely charged him with blaspheming “God and the king,” which led to Naboth’s death by stoning. Elijah confronted Ahab in the vineyard, predicting that he and all his heirs would be destroyed and that dogs in Jezreel would devour Jezebel.
A few years later Ahab perished in battle with the Syrians. Jezebel lived on for approximately another ten years. Elijah’s successor, Elisha the prophet, equally determined to end Baal worship, had a military commander named Jehu anointed to be king of Israel, an act that provoked civil war, for Jezebel’s son Jehoram (Joram) then ruled. Jehu killed Jehoram at the site of Naboth’s property and then went to Jezebel’s palace. Expecting him, she adorned herself for the occasion. Looking down from her window, she taunted him, and Jehu ordered her eunuchs to throw her out the window. Later, when he commanded that she be properly buried as a king’s daughter, it was discovered that dogs had eaten most of her body.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.