5. Jehu murders Jezebel

When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; she painted her eyes and adorned her head, and looked out of the window. As Jehu entered the gate, she said “Is it peace, Zimri, murderer of your master?”
ellauri171.html on line 468: We forgot to mention that Jezebel was the New Testament's N:o 2 whore after Magdalen. In Revelation 2 Jesus Christ rebukes the church of Thyatira saying, “You allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols”. Christ also says of this Jezebel, “I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. I will kill her children with death.” Battle of the sexes. In Handmaid's Tale, a Jezebel is a woman forced to become prostitute and entertainer. They are available only to the Commanders and to their guests. Offred portrays Jezebels as attractive and educated; they may be unsuitable as handmaids due to temperament. They have been sterilized, a surgery that is forbidden to other women. They operate in unofficial but state-sanctioned brothels, unknown to most women. Jezebels, whose title also comes from the Bible (note Queen Jezebel in the Books of Kings), dress in the remnants of sexualized costumes from "the time before", such as cheerleaders' costumes, school uniforms, and Playboy Bunny costumes. Jezebels can wear make-up, drink alcohol, and socialize with men, but are tightly controlled by the Aunts. When they pass their sexual prime and/or their looks fade, they are discarded, without any precision as to whether they are killed or sent to "the Colonies" (XII Jezebels).
ellauri171.html on line 756: After Jehu killed Jezebel, he rounded up all the family, friends and supporters of the royal family and slaughtered them. Male children were included in this mass murder, since they would one day grow up and perhaps seek revenge.
ellauri171.html on line 774: We hope you enjoyed our Bible Study: famous murders in the Bible: Cain and Abel, Herod and John the Baptist, the death of Absalom, Judith and Holofernes, Jehu murders Jezebel, the Levite’s concubine, Jael and Sisera, Ehud murders Eglon, Jehu slaughters the royal children. Check out also other Bible murder links!
ellauri171.html on line 970: Jezebel (circa 910–841 BCE) was the wife of Ahab—king of Israel, daughter of Etbaal— king of Tyros (Phoenician empire), and mother of Ahazia and Jehoram—Ahab’s sons and successors. Ethbaal served as a priest of Astarte, the primary Phoenician goddess.
ellauri171.html on line 973: Jezebel’s marriage to Ahab was a political alliance. The union provided both peoples with military protection from powerful enemies as well as valuable trade routes: Israel gained access to the Phoenician ports; Phoenicia gained passage through Israel’s central hill country to Transjordan and especially to the King’s Highway, the heavily traveled inland route connecting the Gulf of Aqaba in the south with Damascus in the north. But although the marriage is sound foreign policy, it is intolerable to the Deuteronomist because of Jezebel’s competing gods.
ellauri171.html on line 975: When Jezebel comes to Israel, she brings her own gods and goddesses—especially Baal and his consort Asherah (Canaanite Astarte, often translated in the Bible as “sacred post”)—with her.
ellauri171.html on line 977: Jezebel does not accept Ahab’s God, Yahweh. Rather, she leads Ahab to tolerate Baal. This is why she is vilified by the Deuteronomist, whose goal is to stamp out polytheism.
ellauri171.html on line 978: She represents a view of womanhood that is the opposite of the one extolled in characters such as Ruth the Moabite, who is also a foreigner. Ruth surrenders her identity and submerges herself in Israelite ways; she adopts the religious and social norms of the Israelites and is praised by the tentmen for her conversion to "The" God. Jezebel steadfastly remains true to her own beliefs.
ellauri171.html on line 980: The extent of Jezebel’s power is evidenced by the necessity for Jehu, the founder of the next royal dynasty in Israel, to murder her before his rule can be established (2 Kings 9:30–37)—plus her whole extended family. Tollasta karhutouhua. The biblical text insists that she is evil through and through.
ellauri171.html on line 981: I argue that, by and large, the modern understanding of Jezebel does not accord with the original halakh text.
ellauri171.html on line 984: If one knew nothing about the biblical character Jezebel, but used a search engine to find more information, the search results would have almost nothing to do with her as she appears in the Hebrew bible. She is one of the few biblical characters to have become her own noun; in the modern world, “Jezebel” connotes a sexually immoral woman. The thesaurus yields results such as “floozy, hooker, and hussy.” The Urban Dictionary returns definitions like:
ellauri171.html on line 987: But the appearance of Jezebel in the bible includes no mention of her sexuality. In the Hebrew Bible, Jezebel appears in the books of first and second Kings as the wife of King Ahab— the marriage being a political alliance between Israel and Sidon (a coastal city to the north) where Jezebel was the princess. Jezebel brings her religion to Israel with her, and the worship of Baal is blasphemy in the eyes of the biblical writers. According to the text, Jezebel begins killing Israel’s prophets. Because of this, Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a showdown with Israel’s deity. The Baal worshipers fail to summon their deity, so Elijah calls upon Yahweh and fire descends from heaven and consumes the altar. Having won, Elijah then slaughters all of the prophets of Baal. Jezebel threatens to kill Elijah by the same time the next day, and, ironically, Elijah retreats.
ellauri171.html on line 989: The next time we hear of Jezebel is during the ploy to obtain Naboth’s vineyard for her husband, who is unable to secure the transaction. She sends letters, with the stamp of the king, to the elders in Naboth’s town, commanding them to lie against Naboth, and then stone him. The elders do so, and after Naboth’s death, the vineyard is claimed for Ahab. Few bible commentators acknowledge the bizarre betrayal of Naboth by his neighbors. If, as is suggested, Naboth’s neighbors had known him since birth and patronized him, how could they turn so quickly? Some scholars argue that this incident highlights Jezebel’s keen understanding of Israelite men. It is perhaps, also, one of the impetus for her modern connotation as manipulator-supreme.
ellauri171.html on line 991: The final time we hear of Jezebel (an entire chapter later) is just before her demise. Having just killed the sitting king and son of Jezebel, Jehu enters town to do the same to her. As she sees Jehu, Jezebel stands at the window, issues one last zinger insult, and then puts on makeup. Jehu commands the eunuchs to throw her down, they do so, and Jezebel is trampled. The donning of makeup is the final impetus for her conception as a whore. The most popular interpretation is that Jezebel puts on makeup in effort to seduce Jehu, but this interpretation is not bolstered by the text. Jezebel is the sitting Queen, presumably old in age by now, and has performed in a political function her entire life. She very likely understands that she is about to die and even issues one last insult as Jehu approaches. A more compassionate reading of the text would indicate that Jezebel, for lack of a better term, “goes out with a bang.” Except Jehu hardly banged her If she was an old hag by then.
ellauri171.html on line 994: It is worth noting that nowhere in the text is Jezebel characterized as promiscuous or seductive. The text makes no mention of her physical appearance. Unlike characters such as Rachel, Joseph, and Rebekah, whom the Bible explicitly labels as aesthetically appealing, there is no such indication for Jezebel. In fact, if anything, the text indicates that Jezebel is an all-too-loyal wife —even capable of murder. She is not an admirable character by any means, however, it is critical to highlight that nothing about her modern connotation is exemplified in text.
ellauri171.html on line 996: In Christian lore, Jezebel’s prominent association is that of a sexual essence. Authoritative sources such Thesaurus and Urban Dictionary return results like “whore,” “harlot,” “slut.” John in his drug dream seems to associate the Biblical queen with the “mother of whores and of abominations” who “rules over the kings of the earth” and who has committed fornication with them (Revelation 17:2, 5, 18).
ellauri171.html on line 997: Jezebel is portrayed by the Rabbis as a wicked woman who represents the negative influence of Gentile women who turned Israel’s heart to idolatry. She is a corrupting influence on her husband Ahab, who is drawn to idolatry and away from God because of her.
ellauri171.html on line 999: Idolatry (other religious conviction) was Jezebel’s most grievous sin. She would fatten the prophets of Baal and Asherah, thus vexing God and arousing His ire.
ellauri171.html on line 1000: One way northerners disturb the tapestry of creation is through sexually deviant and immoral activities, which is why the Torah describes the divinations of Jezebel as her promiscuity (“the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her abundant witchcraft”).
ellauri171.html on line 1002: Jezebel’s support of Tyros' national God Baal led her to persecute Jewish bigots who overtly rejected idolatry, beginning with the prophets. Scripture tells us that she had these ideological adversaries executed, and in turn promoted 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of god Asherah.
ellauri171.html on line 1004: Jezebel pursued Elijah the Prophet as well. Elijah had challenged the false prophets of Baal to produce a tangible response from their deity, during an epic showdown on Mount Carmel. When they failed to do so, the prophets of the Baal were proven false and Elijah had them all killed. Haha! When Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah in retribution, he fled for his life. Fucking murderer and a wimp to boot!
ellauri171.html on line 1005: The Zohar explains that although Elijah was a prophet of Gad, it is the practice of the righteous to avoid situations that require miraculous divine intervention unless absolutely necessary. Because Jezebel had threatened to harm him, Elijah escaped quickly to save Gad the trouble of a supernatural rescue mission. Gad was a little out of breath after the Carmel incident.
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Was Jezebel Jewish?

ellauri171.html on line 1009: The medieval commentators differ on whether Jezebel converted to Judaism in a halachically acceptable manner. R. Levi ben Gershom (Ralbag, 1288-1344) is of the view that Jezebel did not fully embrace Judaism and was not a halachic Jewess. This would mean that her two sons, Ahazia and Jehoram, also lacked Jewish credentials. But his assumption is challenged by the fact that there are indications throughout rabbinic works that Ahazia and Jehoram were regarded as bona-fide halachic Jews. Indeed, this is the position taken by a number of halachic authorities. Some contemporary authors argue instead that Jehoram was the son of another of Ahab’s 100% Jewish wives.
ellauri171.html on line 1013: Jezebel is characterized as totally evil in the biblical text and beyond it: in the New Testament her name is a generic catchword for a whoring, non-believing female adversary (Revelations 2:20); in Judeo-Christian traditions, she is evil. The Bible is careful not to refer to her as queen. And yet, this is precisely what she seems to have been. Some early Jewish, albeit post-biblical, sources deconstruct the general picture: “Four women exercised government in the world: Jezebel and Athaliah from Israel, Semiramis and Vashti from the [gentile] nations” (in a Jewish Midrash for the Book of Esther, Esther Rabbah)
ellauri171.html on line 1015: Clearly, Jezebel acted as queen even though the Bible itself refuses her the title and its attendant respect, not to mention approval. In the biblical text, Jezebel is contrasted with and juxtaposed to the prophet Elijah, to the extent that they both form the two panels of a mirrored dyptich. She is a Baal supporter, he is a God supporter; she is a woman, he is a man; she is a foreigner, he is a native; she has monarchic power, he has prophetic power; she threatens, he flees; finally he wins, she is liquidated. The real conflict is not between Ahab (the king) and Elijah, but between Jezebel (the queen in actuality, if not in title) and Elijah. Ultimately the forces of God win; Jezebel loses. It remains to be understood why she gets such bad press.
ellauri171.html on line 1017: It seems reasonable that Jezebel, a foreign royal princess by birth, was highly educated and efficient. Also, although her son’s theophoric names have the element yah or yahu (referring to God) in them, she seems to have been a patron and devotee of the Baal cult.
ellauri171.html on line 1018: It is not incomprehensible that, whereas Ahab devoted himself to military and foreign affairs, Jezebel acted as his deputy for internal affairs: the Naboth report comes back to her, as if the king’s seal was hers; she has her own “table,” that is her own economic establishment and budget; she has her own “prophets,” probably a religious establishment that she controls. All these point toward an official or semiofficial position that Jezebel held by virtue of her character, her royal origin and connections, her husband’s and later her children’s esteem, and her religious affiliation to the Baal (possibly also Asherah) cult.
ellauri171.html on line 1019: Perhaps she had the status of gebira “queen mother”, or of “co-regent”. At any rate, there is no doubt that the biblical and later accounts distort her portrait for several reasons, among which we can list her monarchic power, deemed unfit in a woman; her reported devotion to the Baal and Asherah cult and her objection to Elijah and other prophets of God; her education and legal know-how (shown in the Naboth affair); and her foreign origin Ultimately, the same passages that disclaim Jezebel as evil, “whoring,” and immoral are witness to her power and the need to curb it.
ellauri171.html on line 1021: Israel’s most accursed queen carefully fixes a pink rose in her red locks in John Byam Liston Shaw’s “Jezebel” from 1896. Jezebel’s reputation as the most dangerous seductress in the Bible stems from her final appearance: her husband King Ahab is dead; her son has been murdered by Jehu. As Jehu’s chariot races toward the palace to kill Jezebel, she “painted her eyes with kohl and dressed her hair, and she looked out of the window” (2 Kings 9:30).
ellauri171.html on line 1023: For more than two thousand years, Jezebel has been saddled with a reputation as the bad girl of the Bible, the wickedest of women. This ancient queen has been denounced as a murderer, prostitute and enemy of God, and her name has been adopted for lingerie lines and World War II missiles alike. But just how depraved was Jezebel?
ellauri171.html on line 1024: In recent years, scholars have tried to reclaim the shadowy female figures whose tales are often only partially told in the Bible. Rehabilitating Jezebel’s stained reputation is an arduous task, however, for she is a difficult woman to like. She is not a heroic fighter like Deborah, a devoted sister like Miriam or a cherished wife like Ruth. Jezebel cannot even be compared with the Bible’s other bad girls—Potiphar’s wife and Delilah—for no good comes from Jezebel’s deeds. These other women may be bad, but Jezebel is the worst.
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Jezebel as baby name

ellauri171.html on line 1028: Why would parents name their child Jezebel? Because it’s a pretty name. Just because someone has the same name as someone in the Bible does not mean this is where the inspiration for their name came from. Reality check: not every person is religious. Spanjuunat koittivat kiemurrella että Isabella ei muka ole Iisebel vaan Elishaveta, Aaronin vaimo, Johannes Yökastelijan ja Hyvinkään Kultahatun äiti Iisa taivutustyyppiä kala. Jumala muka vaan putosi pois alusta. Paskanmarjat, samat iisev ja el vaan toisin päin. Jumala on voimasana. Liisa, Betty, Elsa, Iisa, Bella ym.
ellauri171.html on line 1033: The name Jezebel is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "not exalted". Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab in the Hebrew Book of Kings, has long had a bad girl reputation. But in the modern secular world, this is somewhat mitigated by the feminist perspective of her as a strong woman, the power behind the throne. Previously avoided as a baby name, Jezebel is now, along with the also previously avoided Delilah and Desiree, coming into use, helped by its relation to other 'bel' names such as Isabel and Bella. The popular feminist celebrity blog Jezebel upped the name's cool factor. Jezebel is the title of one of Bette Davis's best known early films.
ellauri185.html on line 68: Mitäs tapahtui samaan aikaan toisaalla? Kreikassa 600-500-luvulla eKr Solon ym arkista puuhastelua. Sisämerten kolonisointia kilpaa Foinikian kaa. Millonkas se Iisebelin Tyros lytättiin? Jezebel esiintyy 800-luvulla, jälkeen Salomonin 970–931 BCE. Daavid osti tontin jolle Salomo rakensi ekan temppelin. Temppeli hävitettiin 589-587 Nebukadnesarin toimesta ja taparikolliset vietiin tällä kertaa Babylonin linnaan 597-539. Hizi kun olisi se seinätaulu jossa on raamatun tapahtumat aikajanalla. Millos se Moosexen konvoi palas Ebyktistä? Joidenkin Raamatun pohjalta tehtyjen laskujen mukaan israelilaiset palasivat Egyptistä noin 1300–1200 eaa. He joutuivat sotaan filistealaisia ja kanaanilaisia kanssa valloittaen Ain, Jerikon ja Hazorin. Arkeologien mukaan Jeriko ja Ai tuhoutuivat noin 1550 eaa. keskipronssikauden lopussa. Monien tutkijoiden mukaan Egyptissä kävi vain pieni joukko, ja israelilaiset olivat eräänlainen Kanaanin maan alakulttuuri, joka eli paimentolaisina maassa, jossa kaupunkilaiset palvoivat muun muassa israelilaisten uskovaisten epäjumalina pitämiä Baalia ja Astartea. Eräässä vaiheessa nämä paimentolaisheimot alkoivat vallata Israelia. Israelilaiset voittivat viimeiset kanaanilaiset noin 1140 eaa. David Rohlin kiistanalaisen revisioidun kronologian mukaan Jerikon ja Ain tuhoutuminen osuu samaan aikaan israelilaisten Egyptistä-paluun kanssa, ja Raamatun kertomus on mahdollinen kuvaus tapahtumista.
ellauri300.html on line 843: Now order all the people of Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel. Bring along the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah who are supported by Queen Jezebel.”
ellauri338.html on line 132:

Isabella - Elizabeth vai Jezebel?

xxx/ellauri293.html on line 106: Lisäksi, kun Joanna on heprealainen nimi, Junia on latinalainen nimi. Juutalaiset omaksuivat usein toisen, latinankielisen nimen, joka oli lähes pätevä vastine heidän alkuperäiselle nimelleen, vähänkuin kiinalaiset jenkeissä, vaikka Yii-Janista tulee Jezebel. Joanna ja Junia toimivat läheisinä äänivastineina äidinkielissä, jonka Bauckham sanoo olevan osoitus näiden kahden välillä. Lopuksi Paavali kuvailee Juniaa "merkittäväksi apostolien joukossa". Ottaen huomioon, että Juniaa kuvataan yhteisön varhaisimmaksi jäseneksi ja yhdeksi merkittävimmistä jäsenistä, se, ettei häntä ole nimetty muualla, on suuntaa antavaa, kuten Bauckham väittää, että hän ja Joanna ovat sama henkilö, kun otetaan huomioon Joannan varhaisempi korkea näkyvyys Jeesuksen startup-yrityxen palveluxessa.
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