Humanizing Jezebel: Extracting Demonizing Language from Biblical Politics

As a follower of Christ, I believe there is a call to shed light upon the world (Mat 5.14). It is our burden to look forward and upward—to act with innovative mindfulness whilst seeking wisdom from the antiquity of our textual history. Christ challenges us to set aside our pre-dispositions—to imagine a world through His Divinely inspired Grace, that we may answer His call to peace (John 20:21). By deepening our contextual understanding of the Gospel, we are answering Christ’s call to us, as much as discerning the human condition; that, in-part, inhibits our fullness to God’s image. When reading historical representations, including Biblical representations, we must maintain a critical eye. From a Modern Christian perspective, we should question: Does this story sound fair? Does this telling acknowledge social injustices we know existed and still exist today? Ultimately, does this representation sound “Christ-like”? Jezebel’s story in the book of Kings is told with a political and religious bias intended to demonize her legacy for future generations. Reading from a holistic perspective, particularly by acknowledging the patriarchal systems through which her story has been memorialized, we can extract the degrading (demonizing) language paired with her current cultural image.

                Looking at Jezebel’s story as told throughout First and Second Kings, one can immediately locate the author’s contemptuous bias simply by understanding the Hebrew inflection upon her name. Historians argue that Jezebel is a purposefully distorted form of a Phoenician phrase depicting royal status, zbul. The phonetic ending: Zebel’, a derogatory transformation of her Phoenician name and title, as depicted in (2Kgs 1:2), is meant to degrade her royal status. Another example of this tactical manipulation appears in the case of the Phoenician god “Baal-zebul”, which is modified into the title Baal-zebub. Considering the juxtaposition of Jezebel’s story to her predecessor Jehu, there seems to be a clear disdain for her reign compared to the glorification of Jehu’s rise to power (2Kgs 9:6). From a Biblical standpoint, the ethical linchpin that differentiates Jezebel from Jehu is their national religion. Yet, only Jezebel meets her demise through a graphic and visceral depiction of violence (2Kgs 9:30). Jehu’s death, having later been killed for his actions taken against Israel, lacks the degrading language and imagery that meet Jezebel. These circumstances combined drive a consideration that Jezebel’s death is nothing more than a patriarchally politicized statement—completely void of historical truth.

                Let us consider that documents written by prominent Phoenician women were preserved in Mesopotamian archives as early as 1,500 years before Jezebel’s time. Yet, Jezebel’s story is told to us through the eyes of an observer, not because she was illiterate and could not tell it herself, but because her record was erased by the male-dominated culture that succeeded her (Hebrew and otherwise). What does this mean for us, Christian readers? Let's consider the tone of prophets to come after her decline in power, including Hosea, from whom there is a clear calling for leadership to address the oppression and neglect of Israel’s citizenry. Hosea accuses Israel of turning against its people declaring there is: “No Knowledge of God in the Land…”; the root of this lack thereof, is as far as being “[without] faithfulness or loyalty” (Hos 4:1). It’s as if Jehu’s insurrection was a mute point—for by weakening Israel’s civic structure an opportunity arose for the Assyrian Empire lying in wait (2 Kgs 10:32). This political dance ultimately left Israel derelict—politically and socially upended—as the Israelites would spend their next 70 years in diaspora through the period of Assyrian captivity.

                So, if Jezebel is not godly, and neither is Jehu, then where does God’s favor lie? To answer this, we can turn to The Gospel and Christ’s Call. By acknowledging that the language used in the telling of Jezebel’s story is not Christlike and instead shares a mortal tone composed specifically to degrade a political adversary, we can discern that the story was never intended to portray her fairly. Even if evidence suggests political and social triumphs could be attributed to Jezebel’s influence, exemplified by Israel’s time of peace during Ahab’s reign, the writer chose to ignore them. There is a clear attempt to maim her legacy and demonize her political influence, a trend arguably perpetuated by John of Patmos (Rev. 2:19).

                As we consider Jezebel’s story, it is imperative to scrutinize the damage inflicted in a contemporary context. Through our ignorance, we not only weigh Jezebel on a particular moral scale, one intentionally stacked against her, but also every woman colloquially “gifted” the title: A Jezebel. Does Christ not call us to turn away from the illusion of our mortality (Luke 14:25)? That is: to turn away from “life itself” we are to turn away from our Fallen condition of Sin and set our hearts on hope both intangible and unimaginable (1 Cor 2:9). By perpetuating Jezebel’s mortal disposition through our contemporary sisters, daughters, and mothers, we continue to engage in the sinful cycle of misogyny.  Instead, by reaffirming her humanity, we align ourselves with the knowledge and wisdom God intends to bestow.