Bible -- Commentaries; Bible -- Feminist criticism; Women in the Bible
All we know about Jezebel is told us by a rival religionist, who hated
her as the Pope of Rome hated Martin Luther, or as an American A. P. A.
now hates a Roman Catholic. Nevertheless, even the Jewish historian,
evidently biassed against Jezebel by his theological prejudices as he
is, does not give any facts whatever which warrant the assertion that
Jezebel was any more satanic than the ancient Israelitish gentleman, to
whom her theological views were opposed. Of course we, at this stage of
scientific thought, know that Jezebel's religion was not an admirable
one. Strangely enough, for a religion, it actually made her intolerant!
But to Jezebel it was a truth, for which she battled as bravely as
Elijah did for what he imagined to be eternal verity. The facts,
admitted even by the historian who hated her, prove that,
notwithstanding her unfortunate and childish conception of theology,
Jezebel was a brave, fearless, generous woman, so wholly devoted to her
own husband that even wrong seemed justifiable to her, if she could
thereby make him happy. (In that respect she seems to have entirely
fulfilled the Southern Methodist's ideal of the pattern wife absorbed
in her husband.) Four hundred of the preachers of her own faith were
fed at her table (what a pity we have not their opinion of their
benefactor!). Elijah was the preacher of a new and rival religion,
which Jezebel, naturally, regarded with that same abhorrence which the
established always feel for the innovating. To her, Elijahism doubtless
appeared as did Christianity to the Jews, Lutheranism to the Pope, or
John Wesleyism to the Church of England; but in the days of the
Israelites the world had not developed that sweet patience with heresy
which animates the Andover theologians of our time, and Jezebel had as
little forbearance with Elijah as had Torquemada with the Jews or
Elizabeth with the Puritans.
Yet, to do Jezebel justice, we must ask ourselves, how did the
assumedly good Elijah proceed in order to persuade her of the
superiority of his truth? It is painful to have to relate that that
much overestimated "man of God" invited four hundred and fifty of
Jezebel's preachers to an open air exhibition of miracles, but, not
satisfied with gaining a victory over them in this display, he pursued
his defeated rivals in religion, shouting, "Let not one of them
escape!" and thus roused the thoughtless mob of lookers-on to slaughter
the whole four hundred and fifty in cold blood! Jezebel had signalized
her advent as queen by slaying Israelitish preachers in order to put
her own preachers in office. Elijah promptly retaliated at his earliest
opportunity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account