GENTLE BREEZE By NELLY FAVIS VILLAFUERTE Nelly Favis Villafuerte King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, royal couple, will long be remembered for their conjugal reign. In the history of Israel, the reign of Ahab and Jezebel has no comparable match.  The word wicked may be too tame a term to describe the devilish, scandalous, vicious, and fiendish reign of the royal couple.

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King Ahab was the seventh king of the northern kingdom of Israel.  It will be recalled that after the death of King Solomon, a  war divided Israel into northern and southern kingdoms.  The northern kingdom was known as Israel with Ephraim and Samaria as capital.  The southern kingdom was known as Judah with Jerusalem as its capital.  King Ahab, the evil son of an evil father, ruled the northern kingdom for 22 years (to 851 BC). He married Jezebel, an evil princess, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Ionians.  Jezebel appeared to be more evil than King Ahab.  Jezebel, though was not just an evil lady.  She was a fanatical devotee and worshipper of Baal. She was obsessed with spreading Baal worship in Israel.  Baal worship, was prominently characterized by lascivious rites, extravagant orgies, child-sacrifice, worship of man-mad idols and images, and the visibility of temples in high places to house idols and images.

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Baal was considered the principal god of the Babylonians.  The other names of Baal were Marduk, Bel, and Shamash.  Usually represented by a sun-image, Baal also took animal forms.  Baal’s wife and principal mother-goddess is known as Ishtar in Babylon, Astarte in Greece and Rome, and Nina in Nineveh.   The temples of Baal and Ishtar were usually located in one place.  Incidentally, it would be interesting no note that in the historical excavation of Canaanite altars, the debris of a “High Place” was discovered.  A High Place was a temple of worship for Baal and Ishtar which revealed many images and plaques of Ishtar. Many images were sensuous.  The archaeologist who discovered the ruins of High Place was a certain Macalister of the Palestine Exploration Fund.

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            King Ahab did not resist Jezebel’s attempt to introduce Baal worship in Israel.  On the contrary, King Ahab was a willing tool of his domineering wife.  The manipulative Jezebel succeeded in her mission to penetrate Israel with Baal worship.  In so doing, Jezebel slowly wielded more and more power over her husband, king Ahab.  In the end, Jezebel was actually ruling the people.  She went to the extent of having the prophets of the God of Israel killed at the same time that about 400 prophets of Baal were fed daily at Jezebel’s table.

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            There was one incident recorded in the Book of Kings that is very revealing of the personality of Jezebel as well as of king Ahab.  At one time, King Ahab was feeling very depressed because a certain Naboth refused the king’s offer to buy his vineyard.  This is how Jezebel reacted:  “Is this how you act as king over Israel?  Get up and eat!  Cheer up.  I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth, the Jesraelite.” (1 Kings 21:7)  Jezebel, without any qualm of conscience “sequestered”  Naboth’s vineyard.  The evil Jezebel did not stop here.  Mock charges.  Naboth was later stoned to death.  Later, Jezebel told king Ahab:  “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth. He is no longer alive, but dead.  When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.  (1 Kings 21:15-16)

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            Even Elijah, God’s prophet, was afraid of Jezebel.  We see Elijah running for his life away from Jezebel when Jezebel’s messenger told Elijah that Jezebel was after Elijah’s life.

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            In the end, Jezebel died a horrible death.  Elijah’s prophecy in 1 Kings 21:23 that Jezebel would be devoured by dogs was fulfilled.  While Jezebel is long dead, her evil spirit continuous to haunt many women today who are not contented to just do evil things themselves.  They find sadistic pleasure in instigating other people, especially men, to do evil deeds at their beckoning.

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            Yes Jezebel, the wicked queen who introduced Baal worship in Israel, caused chaos during Biblical times. Today, the modern Jezebels are still plying their trade and victimizing many men (who inherited the genes of King Ahab) with their “mischief.”

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This column continues to give out copies of the Holy Bible for free to those who cannot afford to buy their own copies. If interested, please send your letter-request to Ms. Nelly Favis Villafuerte, 5233 Fahrenheit St., Palanan, Makati City. Kindly mention if it is the Tagalog, English, Cebuano, or Ilocano Bible that is preferred. Be joyful and forgiving! (Comments may be sent to Ms. Villafuerte’s email: [email protected].)