Jezebel is a biblical character who was the wife of Israeli king Ahab and introduced the cult of Baal to Israel, leading to her execution. In Western culture, her name is associated with an evil and seductive woman. She is portrayed as a deceitful woman who uses her husband and children to gain and maintain power. The Jezebel in Revelation is a priestess who institutes blasphemous practices among her followers. The term Jezebel has been used as a slur against women, but some authors suggest that the biblical story is biased and she was a strong woman who promoted worship of her god.
Jezebel is a character mentioned in the Bible in the Book of 1 Kings. She is a Phoenician princess who becomes the wife of the Israeli king Ahab. Jezebel brings the cult of Baal, a Phoenician god, to Israel, angering the Jewish prophets, and is eventually executed.
Another Jezebel appears in the New Testament Book of Revelation, but may have been given that name in reference to the Old Testament character. In Western Christian culture, her name refers to an evil and seductive woman. The name can be used as an insult, or it can simply mean that a woman is alluring and alluring, but not necessarily evil.
Jezebel is portrayed as a deceitful woman who uses her husband and later her children to gain and maintain power over Israel. In addition to establishing the cult of her god in Israel and having temples built in her honor, she is responsible for executing many prophets of Jehovah, the God of the Jewish people whom she rules. After Jezebel plots the deaths of a man named Naboth and his sons by falsely accusing them of treason so that Ahab can take possession of their vineyard, the prophet Elijah prophesies her violent death.
Survives both Ahab and his eldest son, Ahaziah, as queen. Her youngest son, Joram, succeeds to the throne, but is killed by Jehu, who later becomes king of Israel. During the revolt led by Jehu, Jezebel is also killed, fulfilling Elijah’s prophecy. She is pushed out the window and her body is eaten by dogs. Part of her reputation as a seductive comes from a verse in 1 Kings of hers that describes her applying cosmetics in preparation for her death.
The Jezebel in Revelation is a priestess who institutes blasphemous practices among her followers in Thyatira, in present-day Turkey. Some scholars believe this passage referred to a contemporary figure that readers would recognize from the description. Jezebel was probably used as a nickname for the woman’s wickedness and worship of deities other than Yahweh, just as the name is sometimes used today.
Although the term Jezebel has been used for centuries as a slur against women seen as immoral or sexually threatening, more recently it has lost some of its religious connotations. Today, someone by that name may simply be an attractive, headstrong woman who takes control of her sexuality. Authors Tom Robbins and Isaac Asimov have both offered alternative views on Jezebel in their work, suggesting that the biblical story is biased and that she was a strong woman who promoted worship of the god of her people and supported male rulers of her family.
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