Bible Figure
Jezebel
biblical Phoenician princess
Jezebel was the Phoenician wife of King Ahab of Israel whose promotion of Baal worship and persecution of the Lord's prophets made her a leading symbol of royal apostasy.
Biography
First Kings identifies Jezebel as the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians and wife of Ahab. She supported prophets of Baal and Asherah and sought Elijah's death after the contest on Mount Carmel. In the affair of Naboth's vineyard, Jezebel arranged false accusations and Naboth's execution so Ahab could seize his property. Elijah pronounced judgment on Ahab's house and foretold Jezebel's disgraceful death. Years later, when Jehu entered Jezreel, Jezebel confronted him from a window; her attendants threw her down, and dogs consumed most of her body, fulfilling the prophetic word.
Biblical Significance
Jezebel embodies the alliance of political power, idolatry, persecution, and injustice during Ahab's reign. Her story demonstrates the biblical principle that royal authority remains accountable to God's covenant and cannot legitimize false worship or judicial murder.