Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen

by Lesley Hazleton

There is no woman with a worse reputation than Jezebel, the ancient queen who corrupted a nation and met one of the most gruesome fates in the Bible. Her name alone speaks of sexual decadence and promiscuity. But what if this version of her story, handed down to us through the ages, is merely the one her enemies wanted us to believe? What if Jezebel, far from being a conniving harlot, was, in fact, framed?
In this remarkable new biography, Lesley Hazleton shows exactly how the proud and courageous queen of Israel was vilified and made into the very embodiment of wanton wickedness by her political and religious enemies. Jezebel brings readers back to the source of the biblical story, a rich and dramatic saga featuring evil schemes and underhanded plots, war and treason, false gods and falser humans, and all with the fate of entire nations at stake. At its center are just one woman and one man—the sophisticated Queen Jezebel and the stark prophet Elijah. Their epic and ultimately tragic confrontation pits tolerance against righteousness, pragmatism against divine dictates, and liberalism against conservatism. It is, in other words, the original story of the unholy marriage of sex, politics, and religion, and it ends in one of the most chillingly brutal scenes in the entire Bible.
Here at last is the real story of the rise and fall of this legendary woman—a radically different portrait with startling contemporary resonance in a world mired once again in religious wars.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Religion, Biography, Ancient History, Historical, Womens

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

1. My new book 'Jezebel: the untold story of the bible's harlot queen' is just out (Doubleday). Yes, she was framed. No, she was no harlot. Yes, she was magnificent.

2. Won't bore you with the whole bio -- it's in the 'About the Author' page on www.jezebelbook.com. For now: British-born, lived for a long time in the Middle East, now live in the very Pacific Northwest.

3. Favorite drink is grappa.
Natural habitat is high desert (which must have something to do with my living on a houseboat/floating home at sea level...)
Am gnostic agnostic (and yes, will write a long piece/short book explaining that one day).

Reviews

[J.S.A. Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started to say that this was poorly written—it's not, it's just neither acute scholarly prose nor NYer quality profile-journalism. What it did do was, from approximately pages 70-75, severely mess with this idea which I've had—which most of us have, I think—about so-called "sacred prostitution" or "temple harlots" or whatever you want to call them. Namely, that they DID NOT EXIST, EVER, but were an Orientalised otherization on the part of Western male writers from Herotodus forward, to make the Assyrian/Babylonian Mesopotamian goddess-worshippers seem even scarier, more exoticized, and more outrageous. Then Sir James Frazier picked it up and spread it about, and it became "fact." It all has to do with a mistranslation of the Semetic word qdesha, meaning sanctified woman:

"The old-style gentlemen scholars, hampered by Orientalism and blinkered by misogyny, simply could not conceive of women as priests. To them, there was only one possible explanation for the presence of women officiating in the temples of the Middle East: a consecrated woman could only be consecrated to sex."

GAME. CHANGER. o_O

Scholar Tikva Frymer-Kensey apparently called it, dismissively enough, "the myth of orgy." So I've added two titles by *her* to my to-read pile, both already on hold for me at the library. For that bibliographic reference (as well as Robert Oden), I'm forever grateful to this book. And for setting Jezebel back on her feet and dusting her off and settling her askew crown to rights.

[Jason Pettus · Rating 4 out of 5]

(The full review I wrote of this book is much larger than GoodReads' word-count limitations. Find the entire essay at the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com].)

So are you familiar already with the story of Jezebel? It appears in both the Jewish bible (Tanakh) and the Christian one (Old Testament, Books of Kings), based extremely loosely on the real woman who served as one of the queens of Israel back in ancient times. As the traditional legend goes, Jezebel was originally a pagan Phoenician, married off by her father to Israel's King Ahab for political reasons; it was her meddling ways, according to Jewish and Christian scripture, that led the king away from worshipping the One True God (Yahweh) and to instead focus on the Phoenician "heathen" god Baal. Eventually, however, the power couple was finally confronted by one of the most important early prophets of the Jewish religion, the poverty-embracing, desert-roaming Elijah; it was he who predicted the downfall of Israel because of Jezebel's influence, he who first called her the "harlot queen." And thus, traditional lore has it, did Israel indeed fall to the Assyrians roughly around 900 BC, and thus was Jezebel's body literally eaten by dogs after her death, and thus has her name itself become synonymous over the years with the wanton heretic hussy, using her body and her wily sexual charms to ridicule everything that Good True Christians hold dear.

But there's a problem with this story, or so claims psychologist, Hebrew scholar and Middle East journalist Lesley Hazleton, which is that it simply isn't true; as she details in her new "speculative nonfiction" book Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen, the story itself wasn't even written until 300 years after her death, by a group of Judeans who had never even been to Israel, at a time when Judea itself was under the looming threat of extinction just like had been Israel's fate several centuries earlier. So yes, in other words, there was a political agenda attached to the writing of Kings, a plea from that generation's faithful to take heed of the pagan hoards at Judea's borders; and there was no better way to get that message across than through an alarmist retelling of the Jezebel myth, painting her as a singular creature of evil when in fact she was no particularly worse or better than any of the other Middle Eastern queens of her time. And not only that, but that the very definition of the word "harlot" has changed profoundly since ancient times, with the original authors of Kings meaning nothing sexual at all when first using it themselves. And not only that, but that the prophet Elijah was not really a savior but in actuality Judaism's (and therefore Christianity's) very first radical fundamentalist, the start of an ugly tradition in those religions that in our modern age has brought us televangelists, abortion-clinic bombers, and people obsessed with the Rapture and subsequent Apocalypse.

Yeah, I know, it's a lot of challenges to traditional Western religious thought that Hazleton is throwing out...

[Janeadams Adams]

Janeadams's review
recommended for: everyone


Here's what I learned from JEZEBEL, Leslie Hazelton's fascinating new book!
1. My favorite Passover prophet was a fire-breathing fundamentalist - I'm not inviting him to my next Seder.

2. The authors of the Book of Kings had a political agenda in portraying Jezebel as an evil harlot bent on destroying monotheism and the ruination of Israel.

3. Far from being a Harlot, Jezebel was a vulnerable, virginal teenager forced into an arranged marriage to a foreign king.

4. Hazelton breathes life into a misunderstood and badly maligned woman of the ninth century BC, just as she did in her previous book about Mary, mother of God.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Religious fundamentalism was not created in the Twentieth Century. The Fatwa is not a new declaration of war. The political smear campaign is is older than the Bible. But most importantly, Jezebel was framed. Lesley Hazleton does a thorough job of explaining how and why Queen Jezebel was depicted as she was in the context and psychology of her time. And times haven't changed that much, as many writers through the ages have built on the mythology of Jezebel the Harlot.

The real Jezebel was a Phoenician princess who married King Ahab of Israel in 872 B.C. to ensure peaceful relations between the two countries. She was a 15 year old who would be crowned queen consort of the polygamous king, and the only wife who was ever mentioned in the chapter of the Bible called Kings. She was polytheistic, worshipping Baal and Astarte among others, while Ahab was a monotheist who worshipped Yahweh. That Ahab showed respect and tolerance for his Queen Consort by building a temple to Astarte and allowed her priests to follow her from the city of Tyre, seems to be the beginning of all of their trouble with the prophets Elijah and Elisha. As Hazleton reveals, not only did these prophets bring about her downfall, they also brought about the downfall of Israel.

Jezebel's real name was Itha-Baal, or "woman of The Lord" in her native language. In Hebrew in the re-telling of her story, it was changed to I-zevel, or "woman of dung," and that is what has stuck. History is written by the winners, and the history that was written greatly favors the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The original conflict centers around Jezebel and Elijah, with Elijah prophesying that Jezebel "[S]hall be eaten by dogs by the walls of Jezreel." When this conflict is broken down to its basics, it's a battle between polytheism versus monotheism, between cosmopolitanism and detente versus absolutism and confrontation. The picture painted is that Elijah and Elisha are the religious terrorists of the Ninth Century B.C. and not the benevolent figures that at they have become through hundreds of years of editing (especially Elijah).

Hazleton's research and explanations of what probably did occur at the time, and what was made up as cautionary tales and included in Kings, is fascinating. One thing that is evident is that the biblical tales concerning her were written long after the events, and that numerous changes and additions were made to the saga of Kings by later writers adding in extras that aren't logical under scrutiny. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand what most likely happened to inspire the tales of the Bible and the Koran.

[Philip Eapen · Rating 1 out of 5]

A skeptic's imaginations disguised as facts to justify tolerance above righteousness. Despite post-modern attempts to erase absolutes, Truth remains. Those who glorify "tolerance" at the expense of Truth don't realize that they themselves are intolerant towards a conservative reading of the Bible. So much for their tolerance. Those who question the veracity of the Biblical account don't realize that the oral tradition in ancient Israel and Judah were very robust. Whether a story was written down 40 years or 400 years later, it's integrity was preserved through multiple "peer-reviewed" oral traditions.

Today's so-called "liberals" belong to the league of Jezebel who issued death threats against Elijah. Jezebel was intolerant and greedy. Jezebel instigated her husband, King Ahab, to grab Naboth's vineyard after getting him murdered by scoundrels. It is for that reason that she met with a gory end. Do liberal values justify murderers and land sharks? Jezebel shall forever be remembered as a wicked, intolerant, murderous property-grabber.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eminently readable book that's part non-fiction, historical fiction, travelogue and rant. It has a similar agenda to Cleopatra: A Life and suffers a bit in comparison. I think the passages where Hazleton tries to get inside Jezebel's head ultimately weaken the book. How much do we know about the polytheistic religious practices of the time period? How much do we know about what female rulers acted like? Is there information on all this? As of reading this book I'm not 100% sure. I think it would have benefited from that information, so the reader could make inferences, rather than any of the "but surely Jezebel thought..." portions. The beginning of the book condemns previous authors for molding Jezebel into their image, but Hazleton does that quite enthusiastically, with frequent allusions to modern day politics.

There's a lot about this book I enjoyed however. I'm very fond of analyses that try to put the bible into historical context, and this book does a great job of it. And even if I take issue with some of Hazleton's methods, I always approve of attempts to understand vilified women in history.

[Sai Prasad Vishwanathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imaginative history. When you take a character’s normalized, most known perspectives and flip it 180 degrees, you are bound to either create a masterpiece or ramble away your senses. This book does the former for me.

Replace the name and you can also easily and variously see the subtle elements of Ahalya, Menaka, Surpanaka, Gandhari in the same. If you believe in the quoted lines below from the book, then know Jezebel’s history first and then read this book to get your perspective inverted :)

‘’When your story is written by those in passionate opposition to everything you believe in, it will be, to put it mildly, warped. Everything becomes twisted; every action, every gesture, becomes not only suspect but turned on its head. The wildest rumors are passed off as fact. Inconvenient facts are ignored or edited out, relegated to oblivion, until all we are left with is not a real person but an image, a morality-tale character, which is how Jezebel would become a kind of wicked witch of the easy’’

[Kim Stokely · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I could appreciate the mix of fact and fiction in the book, I found the author's obvious bias against the Biblical text distasteful. It wasn't only that she elevated other cultural texts to form her opinions, it's that she disdained any Biblical interpretation.

[Sixo Cooper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry, this was so bad. Omg, so so bad.

[Adnan Arshad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5

Jezebel is a story of confrontation between Jezebel (Israelite Queen) and Elijah (Israelite Prophet, referred in Quran as Ilyas).
This book is fiction or non-fiction is also debatable. Although narrative of this book is based on real people and events; but author herself called it “imagined history” because it’s almost next to impossible to write biography of someone who lived almost 3,000 years ago. Author has tried to re-create the history by visiting places where events took place, but I think getting clear picture of what happened would be a very difficult task.
As author points out that Jezebel name has become a sign of lewdness, obscenity and immorality in modern world. In this book, author has tried to rebuild image of Jezebel and endeavored to set the record straight that this was not in actual physical immorality but in actual it related to polytheism. I think author has tried to distort the facts in trying to present Jezebel as harmless and innocent, as she has tried to build the image of Elisha (Israelite Prophet, successor of Elijah who was given cloak of Prophet hood after Elijah) as scheming and manipulative. Incident of vineyard is also very strange because if Ahab (Israelite King) wanted to take possession of a land he could have easily done as there was no need for involvement of queen.
All the prophets were sent to spread the message of Monotheism (oneness of Allah) and fight against polytheism. Presence of polytheist queen at the palace of King was certainly not tolerable and rightly prophets were sent to stop the polytheism. Concept propagated in this book that Yahweh(God) could only exert authority over Israeli land and was not powerful in other nations land, and that was also belief of Israeli people should also be reviewed critically as it does not conform of concept of Monotheism and universal rule of Almighty.
This story tells us that things should not be completely left in hands of Generals, whenever this mistake was committed by a ruler, as a result power was usurped by that general and king was assassinated.

[Hina Tabassum Khatri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me more than a month to finish this but finish it, I did.

The full review is at Hina Loves to Read

[Claire McManus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lesley Hazleton, you've entered into my cannon of favorite thinkers, along with the likes of Ursula K Le Guin. I can't believe I started this book the week you died.

This is the story of Jezebel, told from a deeply researched and historical perspective. As someone who doesn't know much of the bible, I didn't know much of her story ahead of time aside from her name. I'm glad I learned from this book.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing book and well worth a 5 star rating. I learned so much about Ancient Israel and its surrounds and the writing was beautiful. Can't recommend this book enough.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
Even though it makes me very angry about all the lies presented to me as cold hard facts in my youth, Lesley Hazleton never fails to open this skeptic's eyes even wider. Men writing with agendas will always turn the "facts" to their favor - and they will consistently slur and belittle women to do it.

And holy crap! When biblical stories of intrigue and power aren't disguised in self-serving and often archaic language - you realize where Shakespeare and the writers of Game of Thrones got their ideas.

[Laura D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really got into this book. I picked it up because I was curious about the name Jezebel. Why don't you ever meet people with this name? I thought it was a pretty name, so why wouldn't it be used? As it turns out, it is not a pretty name and there is good reason for not giving this name to little girls. As you can tell I am not a bible reader. I didn't know about King Ahab and Jezebel. All of my questions were answered in this book to my satisfaction, and better.

Lesley Hazleton looked at the story in terms of history, geography, archaeology, logic and linguistics, all angles that I can appreciate. When trying to figure out what happened 3,000 years ago I imagine that it is very difficult to know whether you are on the right path. I was very impressed with how much effort went into this book. At the end you find 15 pages of notes and a 13 page bibliography. Hazleton visited the areas where Jezebel's story takes place and gave imaginable descriptions of the terrain and weather.

I am a believer that there is an ounce of truth in every legend. Because of this I find the bible to be a daunting read. As Hazleton points out, these documents were copied many times and mistakes and embellishments were very likely made. I find the stories interesting because of how they have influenced humans over time, but I prefer to study them in terms of logic. It is books like this one that make that possible for me. I know that after thousands of years the whole truth is lost, but with what is left of the past an intriguing picture can be painted. Using the information that exists and a little common sense the old stories can still be told and actual history can be understood.

[Brittany Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reaffirmed for me that 1) fundamentalists are nuts no matter what century they are in, 2) I need to learn more ancient Israel history from people who know what they're talking about, 3) that translation is tricky business 😉 and 4) the most maligned woman in the Bible - aside from Eve who most likely didn't exist, but I digress - was deeply sympathetic.

The more I read, the more I dreaded the outcome, because I began to feel for her. She was a victim of unwilling to compromise zealots, one of many victims throughout history. And the more I read, the more I hated the heavily patriarchal one-sided story that was drilled into me until early adulthood.

I'm glad I read this just to see Jezebel's side of things.

[Mian Usama · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful

[Vânia Moreira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jezabel continua a ser um nome associado a mulheres promíscuas, desavergonhadas, sexualmente indomáveis. Lesley Hazleton com esta obra pretende demonstrar que não seria bem assim, focando na perspectiva desta princesa fenícia que era ainda uma criança quando, no século IX a.C., se casou com o rei de Israel, Acab.

O fanatismo religioso não é um fenómeno contemporâneo. No contexto histórico referente ao tempo de Jezabel, o monoteísmo com a adoração a Javé começava a propagar-se e a impor-se como religião única permitida pelos profetas mais prepotentes, como o caso de Elias.

Apesar de cultuar Javé, Acab permitiu que a sua formosa esposa continuasse a adorar os seus deuses fenícios, em especial Baal e Astarte, tendo até mandado erigir templos para o seu culto. Os mais fanáticos, contudo, não gostaram desta afronta aos deus único Javé e assim começa toda uma batalha envolvendo Jezabel e Elias. Este viria a profetizar que a esposa de Acab viria a ser devorada por cães e depois viraria excremento - o nome I-zevel viria a ser traduzido em hebreu como "mulher do esterco". Numa altura em que o pós morte era deveras importante para os povos, saber que os corpos teriam este destino era algo muito grave.

Claro que, dependendo da perspectiva, poderemos achar que seria Jezabel a fanática pelos seus deuses cananeus ou Elias que adorava o deus único Javé. Contudo, aquilo que também podemos retirar desta leitura é que Jezabel foi descrita por homens, numa altura em que o patriarcado e o monoteísmo assumiam as rédeas do controlo dos povos.
Apesar do nome Jezabel (evoluído para Isabel / Isabela) ser associado e perpetuado a mulheres promíscuas e sexualmente depravadas, a verdade é que na altura em que foi descrita, a prostituição não seria levada pelo lado sexual, mas sim por Jezabel se ter "vendido" a deuses pagãos. Contudo, o que permaneceu foi a ideia do seu cariz sexual imoral.
Devido a estas guerras fanáticas, Jezabel acabou sendo atirada pela janela e comida pelos cães. Quando iam a procurar pelo seu corpo para ser sepultada, o que sobrou foi apenas o crânio, as mãos e pés. Não é uma imagem agradável, mas Lesley Hazleton também atribui uma explicação para isto: Jezabel queria enfrentar a morte como era: uma rainha. E para isso, mandou as suas criadas pintarem-na de hena no rosto, mãos e pés. Visto que a hena era amarga, os cães deixaram essa partes; além disso, é venenosa em grandes quantidades e a longo prazo.

Foi uma leitura deveras interessante, com muita informação sobre o contexto histórico. Será um 3.5* pois a avultada catadupa de referências torna a leitura um pouco lenta e com necessidade de por vezes respirar um pouco para absorver tudo.
Continua a ser determinante a existência de obras que colocam em causa personagens que sempre tivemos como "perfeitas", como o caso dos profetas judeus / cristãos. E cada vez mais que grandes mulheres sejam devidamente escritas e ouvidas para que possamos ter um mundo mais justo e onde o fanatismo, de qualquer tipo, não tenha lugar.

[Lynne Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to this book unfamiliar with the Books of Kings. Oh sure, I knew some bible stories, such as David's final days when a virgin was placed in bed with him to keep him warm (and she remained a virgin, as the Bible curtly informs us); Solomon's near dividing in half an infant claimed by two mothers; and Jezebel. We all know about the whore who was hurled from a great height and devoured by dogs. What I learned from reading this book is that Kings has an important place in western history: this is where the shift towards total and absolute monotheism begins in earnest, and Jezebel was an important part of that story.

Not that she planned it that way. She was a foreigner when she was married to King Ahab, and along with her foreign gods, she helped bring peace, wealth and trade to Samaria and Israel. She was not the first foreigner wed to a follower of Yahweh (Solomon had plenty of foreign wives and he built temples to their gods for them), but she has become the most notorious. Jezebel knew what her job was and, apparently, she was good at it. Why we know her at all is because of her conflicts with two of Israel's most confrontational prophets: Elijah and Elisha. These prophets are absolutists: there is no god but Yahweh, and this polytheistic foreigner is an abomination. This is where the word "harlot" comes into play; it isn't just about the sex.

If you believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, or if you allow that humans wrote it but God's hand was guiding them, this is not the story for you. If you are willing to include various secular viewpoints into your bible study, Lesley Hazleton's Jezebel might be a fascinating eyeopener. The author is a journalist, fluent in Hebrew. Her direct translations of bible verses (often neutered in translation) are worth a read for that alone. It's a fast-paced, exciting read. Who knew Kings was that interesting?

Reviewers have quibbled about the created POV dialog and thought processes given to Jezebel; some have even listed the book as historical fiction because of it. In my opinion, what Hazleton has done is no different from the staged scenes in historical documentaries seen on your local PBS station. We don't know if this is literally what happened, but it gives us a better sense of who these people were. There is an excellent bibliography at the end of the book if you care to follow up.

Whether we care to admit it or not, the Bible has had a powerful cultural influence on western society and it's as strong now as it has ever been. If you want to learn more about the fundamentalist ur-story, this is a good place to begin. Plus it's a cracking good tale.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic and powerful read. I highly recommend it. One group that really should read this is anyone who is studying or interested in women's studies, feminism, and movements toward equality and inclusion. Also anyone who wants to add another dimension to the historical study of the Bible will totally enjoy the many pieces of information that might not otherwise be shared in such an easy and flowing prose.

I want to add something before finishing this review: you will see many reviewers talking about the "fiction" in this book. While Hazelton writes this in a manner of a novel or engaging biography, and does take creative license at times by trying to get your mind back into the frame of reference of the ancient biblical era and mindset of the people she writes about, her facts about the Bible are not fiction. She is backed up by many other sources: historians and scholars of the Bible. She has a detailed 'Notes' section that operates much as footnotes would do, and she has an extensive bibliography. Those who want to challenge Hazelton's conclusions will try to use her writing style against her.

Who shouldn't read this book: Well, everyone should read it in my humble opinion. But who won't read it, won't finish it, or who will give it a one star review? Those people who don't want anyone to challenge their beliefs, their preconceived notions, and their certainty that they know the truth about the Bible as well as those who believe that "bible study" will tell them what they don't understand.

I have another Hazelton book on my 'to read shelf' which I'll start as soon as I finish my assigned book club read. I can't wait.

What I left with: more details filled in for me on my personal search and journey for understanding how monotheism took hold of the human mind, what came before monotheism and how the power-brokers of religion have used it to control and shame others who dare think for themselves. This book was published in 2007, and the message of the political and religious dangers we face as a nation could not make this, and other books like it, more in need to be read and re-read. In fact, I hope to be able to read it again in the near future.

[Justin Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first discovered Lesley Hazelton from the book "After the Prophet," which discusses the Sunni-Shi'a split in post-Muhammad Islam. I couldn't help but to read this book after enjoying "Prophet" so much.

Jezebel was the Queen married to Ahab in ancient Israel where the Bible tells us a significant amount. She was foreign and not a Jew, a sin Ahab would pay dearly for. The Bible tells us she also had to deal with the pesky prophets Elijah and Elisha. With this information, Hazelton tries to convince us that Jezebel, despite what the Bible may convey to us, that Jezebel has been unfairly demonized.

She wasn't a "harlot" queen as they like to say, at least Hazelton argues. While the perspective is interesting, I believe where Hazelton goes too far is to assume that 21st century ethics and morals are embodied in an ancient peoples. For example, Hazelton argues that Jezebel was actually a powerful woman who acts and looks like CEO Cecil Richards who is being unfairly oppressed by the evils of a crazed religious man. Elijah, to Hazelton, is the enemy in this revisionists' history; his weird dietary habits and uncouth clothing leave the reader thinking he was a crazed man who hears voices and not as much a prophet of God.

I think Hazelton has an interesting perspective, but I ultimately think it is wrong. Hazelton does too much to personify the 21st century woman and in turn, does a disservice to the ancient peoples.

[Angela Gyurko · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Ithabaal, which meant woman of God in her native language to I-zevel (aka Jezebel) in Hebrew, she literally goes from Woman of God to Woman of Dung. Hazelton calls this the first recorded political hit job, one written long after the fact about a woman who ruled for 30 years. But because, as they say, she “prostituted herself” before false gods, she came into history as a harlot rather than a sophisticated woman who brought lessons of trade and diplomacy to her warrior husband, King Ahab. The Bible mentions Jezebel more than it does Mary. Ponder that.

Drawing on archeological finds, including documents, multiple translations, and writing carved into obelisks, Hazelton contradicts the biblical portrayal of King Ahab as the most evil of all kings, noting the high regard with which he was held by his enemies, the Assyrians and the Moabites. His real crime was marrying an intelligent, capable woman, one he trusted in negotiations regarding trade (a Phoenecian specialty). Hazelton unravels the history behind the narrative, the reasons the story of Ithabaal had to change and the editorial processes in play, how “his weapons were washed” became “harlots bathed” with the changing of 4 letters in the original Hebrew to make sure Ahab’s death followed the new narrative.

How can a powerful, capable queen exist when women are supposed to be subservient? How can the new king (her son) defer to her as queen mother, a powerful role in Phoenician, Assyrian, and Egyptian ruling society? Change the narrative and you change history. Which they did.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nonfiction account of, well, look at the title. Hazelton draws in a number of sources to flesh out Jezebel’s story: the original Hebrew of the Book of Kings, archaeological excavations, writings from Phoenician, Assyrian, and Babylonian contemporaries, visits to the real-life places mentioned in the text, and so on. She does an excellent job of turning Jezebel into a sympathetic figure and fleshing out her world, making it a real, complex place to live. If you have any interest in the history of the Middle East around 800BCE, this is definitely a book for you.

There is one stylistic tick that I didn’t like: Hazelton frequently takes a novelistic turn, imaging Jezebel’s emotions or actions or the scent of the night breeze in her hair. To be fair, she always clearly marks these sections as separate from her research, so there’s no chance of a reader confusing the nonfiction and fictional. I just found them pointless and boring; if I wanted to read a novel about Jezebel, I’m sure I could have done so; instead I picked up a history book and would have liked it to stay historical. I also felt that Hazelton leaned a little too heavily on the “this story is a perfect parallel for our modern life!” theme, but eh, that was likely a necessity to get the book published.

Overall, it’s not the best nonfiction I’ve ever read, but it was interesting with an easy flow. A good book to pass the time while learning a few memorable facts.

[Shubhang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interested in the book having read the Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho a few years back. That outlines the story of Elijah, exiled from Israel by the polytheist queen Jezbel. That story focused on the exile a prophet had to bear because of the harlot queen, how he carries a part of his mission and fails God. A moving tale no doubt.

This book, far from fiction, finds itself ground in facts. The historical and political reality of the times and attempts to redraw the woman for us who has been wronged for such a long time. While a good read with analysis that made sense, the book falters on two accounts. One, the story moves in and out of narrative versus commentary too often, at the expense of both.

And second, there are so many instances of the author going into Jezbel's head and providing not opinions, but exact views that she might have had. While there is conjecture around it, it is in no way definite. Not so for the author. For her "What Jezbel would do..." is eventual, to the point where contrary ideas are swept off by a sentence. What's more this continues till the author tells us of how Jezbel would view the world today.

In trying her redemption, the author attaches to her traits and ideas to Jezbel she herself would be laugh at, even today.

[Cecilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story (sort of) of Jezebel, the famous harlot of the old testament. Although Jezebel is mentioned throughout the book, and the author takes great efforts to explain her behavior and diminish the evil and wanton reputation attributed to her by the account in the Kings book of the old testament, the book is really about the Book of Kings authors and their interpretation and often fabrication of the events involving Jezebel and Elijah.

According to the author she is a proud and courageous queen of Israel brought from Tyre in Phoenicia, to Samaria to marry Ahab the king of Israel at the age of 15. She is a pagan who worships many gods but is also tolerant of the Jewish belief in one God. Elijah is the great Jewish prophet of the time and the man who will not rest until she is brutally destroyed.

Hazelton describes the political intrigue, religious intolerance, and how they are affected by and affect Jezebel. It is an interesting study of how the events are described in the bible and the author's socio-political analysis of the descriptions. It seemed to me that Jezebel was only peripherally a part of the story. The book left me wondering what the author was really intending the book to be.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun fact I like dropping around certain crowds: Jezebel is my favorite character in the bible.

It’s not me just being provocative! (lol, sometimes it is.) But truly, she’s been my favorite character since I was 12, just reading the straight biblical text, and now that’s vindicated by the historical context. She is possibly THE most misrepresented woman in the canon, which is saying something.

She’s my favorite Iron & Wine song too, so as Sam Beam puts it: She was born to be the woman we could blame / Make me a beast half as brave, I’d be the same.

#teamjezebel4lyfe

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sensational biography that I couldn't put down. Lesley Hazleton does a LOT with a little.

Jezebel is neither full historical fiction novel nor cut-and-dry biography. A little imagination is used to bring her, King Ahab, and the prophet Elijah to life. But the biographical details are incredibly interesting, well-researched, and consistent with everything I've learned about Iron Age II. The book presents Jezebel neither as a harlot nor as an innocent, but as a savvy political operator from Tyre and an effective queen mother in the Ancient Near East.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing at synthesizing historical fact, biblical analysis, bibical accounts, and her own travel. Hazleton supports all her "in the eyes of Jezebel" sections with such clear foundation that I trust her fictional recountings, not just because I trust the author but because she includes the supporting evidence. I really do recommend this book! Currenty crying happy tears.

[Kapoti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had read the book Muhammad, the First Muslim, it was an eye opener from some one outside the realm so is Jezebel.
A female belonging to that era, with such egalitarian and compassion towards her people , the clash of the sects, defacing the name Jezebel but she shone through all the time , the scripts.

[Munaza Kazmi · Rating 3 out of 5]

You've putted a lot of research & peril in writing this piece of literature but I was thinking if Jezebel was your great grandmother because you really wanted to inflict the reader about changing their views, & after reading this am feeling more & more respect of my prophet Muhammad pbuh, how meriful & how kind & forgiving he was, thank full to Almighty for making me from his family.