I do have to wonder what she thinks of the Epic of Gilgamesh, which gives a positive portrayal of a temple prostitute as the one who tames Enkidu. The author also proposes that temple prostitution was a myth spread by opponents of Semitic religions, particularly Herodotus. Still, it was a fascinating read, and an example of how differently someone from the past can be viewed by historians with different agendas. Still, we can’t really know the minds of people who died nearly 3000 years ago, so it can hardly be considered entirely factual. Hazleton, a former psychologist who spent a lot of time in Israel, does some interesting speculation into the viewpoints of Jezebel and her opponents. When she finally met her death at the hands of Jehu, who instituted a coup with the support of Elijah’s successor Elisha and assassinated the rulers of both Israel and Judah, she was proud and defiant to the end. She was quite formidable, someone who could stymie even the fierce and fiery prophet Elijah, and who maintained power after Ahab’s death when their sons ruled Israel. Rather, her being a harlot was slang for driving Israel into polytheism, as the nation was the bride of Yahweh. Jezebel herself has come to be viewed as a whore, when evidence suggests she was actually quite loyal to her husband. So was making peace with an enemy king the general policy in the region at the time was subjugation or total destruction. Rather, he legitimized the worship of Phoenician gods alongside Yahweh, which could be considered a precursor to religious freedom, but was a total no-no according to the compilers of the Deuteronomistic History.

Ahab also doesn’t appear to have totally abandoned the worship of Yahweh, as he consults prophets of the national deity before going into battle. He invested in building projects and made trade agreements with neighboring countries. I’ve seen indications elsewhere that Ahab, portrayed as a total villain in 1 Kings, was actually pretty good in terms of bringing prosperity to his kingdom. As a powerful and influential woman in a patriarchal setting, she’s definitely someone who deserves a revisit. Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible’s Harlot Queen, by Lesley Hazleton – This book examines the reputation of one of the most infamous figures in the Bible, the wife of King Ahab of Israel and daughter of the King of Tyre.

Jezebel by Lesley Hazleton