Fisher Digital Publications

Article Title

King Ahab and Queen Jezbel: Evil or Scapegoats?

Authors

Frederick J. Flo, St. John Fisher UniversityFollow

Document Type

Original Essay

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"King Ahab and Queen Jezebel are two of the most notorious characters within the Hebrew Scriptures. In fact, the book of Kings records more stories about King Ahab than any other monarch of Israel. Throughout the entire text, Ahab and Jezebel are vilified. However, there is room for debate about the interpretation of the text. This paper will identify the characters of Ahab and Jezebel in a historical perspective as well as in a narrative one. Was Ahab truly evil as depicted or was he influenced by his vindictive wife? Furthermore, was Jezebel truly the Harlot Queen of the Bible or was she simply a literary scapegoat for the author? Finally, is it plausible that neither was evil and they were malignantly presented by the author of Kings to reinforce his/her own personal message?"

First Page

9

Last Page

20

Recommended Citation

Flo, Frederick J. (2010) "King Ahab and Queen Jezbel: Evil or Scapegoats?," Verbum: Vol. 7: Iss. 2, Article 2.
Available at: https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/verbum/vol7/iss2/2