JEZEBEL SEAL (see this artifact at the Israel Museum this Fall) -- www.freemaninstitute.com/israeloct2019.htm
Jezebel was no doubt the wickedest woman in the Bible. In the book of Revelation her name was invoked in condemning a false prophetess in Thyatira who promoted sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols ( Rev 2:20 ). Even today the name is emblematic of a sinful, shameless woman. Jezebel means "where is his highness (=Baal)?". Baal was the great Canaanite storm and fertility god.
Jezebel's father Ethbaal, whose name means "with Baal" or "man of Baal," was king of the Phoenicians (I Kgs 16:31). The Jewish historian Josephus tells us that Ethbaal was formerly a priest of Ashtoreth, consort of Baal, who usurped the throne and reigned over Tyre and Sidon for 32 years.
In order to form a political alliance with the Phoenicians, Ahab, king of Israel (874-853 BC), married Baal-worshipping Jezebel (1 Kgs 16:31). "Urged on by Jezebel his wife" (1 Kgs 21:25), Ahab became a follower of Baal, and even erected a temple and altar to the pagan deity in Samaria (1 Kgs 16:32). He had the distinction of being the king who "did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of lsrael before him" (1 Kgs 16:33).
Jezebel bore Ahab a son, Joram, who ruled Israel for 12 years from 852 to 841 BC,n and she herself became a strong political figure bearing the title "Queen Mother" ( 2 Kgs 10:13 ).
Jezebel was zealous in her efforts to stamp out Yahwism and promote the worship of Baal. She mounted a campaign to kill the Lord's prophets (1 Kgs 18:4, 13), while at the same time feeding 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, the Canaanite mother goddess and consort of El, at the royal table (I Kgs 18:19). This led to a confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, resulting in the extermination of the prophets of Baal ( I Kgs 18:16-40 ).
Jezebel also figures prominently in the account of the appropriation of Naboth 's vineyard. Naboth refused to sell his vineyard to greedy Ahab. Conniving Jezebel arranged to have false charges brought against Naboth, which resulted in his death (1 Kgs 21).
When Ahab went to take possession of the vineyard, Elijah was there with a message from God: "I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in lsrael --- slave or free ... because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin." And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: "Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel" (1 Kgs 21:21-23).
Shortly thereafter Ahab was killed in a battle against the Arameans ( 1 Kgs 22:29-40 ). Twelve years later a prophet of the Lord anointed Jehu, a general in the Israelite army, king with the following charge: You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the LORD's servants the prophets and the blood of all the LORD's servants shed by Jezebel ( 2 Kgs 9:6 ).
Jehu went on to wipe out Ahab's descendants, including Jezebel's son Joram. As the Lord had predicted through Elijah, Jezebel met a grisly end. Jehu went to the royal residence at Jezreel and found the Queen Mother, with her eyes painted and hair arranged, looking out a palace window. Jehu ordered her eunuchs to throw her out the window: So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot. Jehu went in and ate and drank. "Take care of that cursed woman," he said, "and bury her, for she was a king's daughter." But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. They went back and told Jehu, who said, "This is the word of the LORD that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel 's flesh" ( 2 Kgs 9:33- 36 ).
JEZEBEL'S SEAL (see photo...more info in the comments section):
In the early 1960s a seal was purchased on the antiquities market and donated to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Little attention was paid to the seal and it languished in the Museum for decades. The top of the seal has been damaged and it is in this area that Old Testament scholar and Dutch researcher, Marjo Korpel, suggests that there were originally two letters: a lamed, meaning "(belonging) to" and an aleph, the first letter of Jezebel's name. The restored inscription would then read "(belonging) to Jezebel." The seal is on display in the Israel Museum...
JEZEBEL SEAL (see it at the Israel Museum this Fall): Jezebel was arguably the most evil woman in Biblical history. In the book of the Apocalypse her name is invoked in condemning a false prophetess in Thyatira ( Rev 2:20 ).
Baal was the great Canaanite storm and fertility god. Jezebel's father Ethbaal, whose name means "with Baal" or "man of Baal," was king of the Phoenicians (I Kgs 16:31). The Jewish historian Josephus tells us that Ethbaal was formerly a priest of Ashtoreth, consort of Baal, who usurped the throne and reigned over Tyre and Sidon for 32 years.
In order to form a political alliance with the Phoenicians, Ahab, king of Israel (874-853 BC), married Baal-worshipping Jezebel (1 Kgs 16:31). "Urged on by Jezebel his wife" (1 Kgs 21:25), Ahab became a follower of Baal, and even erected a temple and altar to the pagan deity in Samaria (1 Kgs 16:32). He had the distinction of being the king who "did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of lsrael before him" (1 Kgs 16:33).
Jezebel bore Ahab a son, Joram, who ruled Israel for 12 years from 852 to 841 BC,n and she herself became a strong political figure bearing the title "Queen Mother" ( 2 Kgs 10:13 ).
Jezebel was zealous in her efforts to stamp out Yahwism and promote the worship of Baal. She mounted a campaign to kill the Lord's prophets (1 Kgs 18:4, 13), while at the same time feeding 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, the Canaanite mother goddess and consort of El, at the royal table (I Kgs 18:19). This led to a confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, resulting in the extermination of the prophets of Baal ( I Kgs 18:16-40 ).
Jezebel also figures prominently in the account of the appropriation of Naboth 's vineyard. Naboth refused to sell his vineyard to greedy Ahab. Conniving Jezebel arranged to have false charges brought against Naboth, which resulted in his death (1 Kgs 21).
When Ahab went to take possession of the vineyard, Elijah was there with a message from God: "I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in lsrael --- slave or free ... because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin." And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: "Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel" (1 Kgs 21:21-23).
Shortly thereafter Ahab was killed in a battle against the Arameans ( 1 Kgs 22:29-40 ). Twelve years later a prophet of the Lord anointed Jehu, a general in the Israelite army, king with the following charge: You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the LORD's servants the prophets and the blood of all the LORD's servants shed by Jezebel ( 2 Kgs 9:6 ).
Jehu went on to wipe out Ahab's descendants, including Jezebel's son Joram. As the Lord had predicted through Elijah, Jezebel met a grisly end. Jehu went to the royal residence at Jezreel and found the Queen Mother, with her eyes painted and hair arranged, looking out a palace window. Jehu ordered her eunuchs to throw her out the window: So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot.
Jehu went in and ate and drank. "Take care of that cursed woman," he said, "and bury her, for she was a king's daughter." But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. They went back and told Jehu, who said, "This is the word of the LORD that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel 's flesh" ( 2 Kgs 9:33- 36 ).
JEZEBEL'S SEAL (see photo):
In the early 1960s a seal was purchased on the antiquities market and donated to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Little attention was paid to the seal and it languished in the Museum for decades.
Dutch researcher Marjo Korpel was first drawn to the seal because of its imagery, but then became intrigued with the inscription...
