Sometimes nonfiction books can drag. Not this one. The book was information, yet entertaining, throughout. As I was reading, I kept think that this book would make an amazing movie or television show. ( )

Hazelton's book reads more like a novel than a work of scholarship, making it a bit breezy at times. The extensive bibliography will be useful for readers who want to explore further. Her switching between the narrative of Jezebel and her own experiences tracking down the modern locations of the story reminded me of Kapuściński's Travels with Herodotus. I found her deductions regarding the power and failure of Elijah informative along the same lines as the aforementioned work of creative journalism. Also, Hazelton's decision to use her own translations of biblical sources rather than rely on more familiar and sanitized translations was refreshing, as it brings the earthiness, and vulgarity, of the sources to a wider audience. On a personal note, the fact that Tyre was originally an island came as surprise, as it forces me to recalibrate certain Freemasonic symbolism. ( )

This book is an excellent example of historical scholarship presented in an accessible manner. Lesley Hazelton doesn't just talk about the biblical account of Jezebel, she paints a vivid picture of the cultures of the time: social, political, religious, even environmental. She provides more robust translations of the texts from Kings rather than the more discreet language of modern translations. And she travels to as many sites as she can, weaving her experience of the land into Jezebel's story.

The one criticism I have -- and it's a fairly large one -- is in her portrayal of Jezebel herself. Hazelton admits that she takes creative license in imagining what it was like to be Jezebel at various points in the story, but I felt that this detracted rather than enhanced her work. I have a deep distrust of writers who discuss the ancient world using terms like "certainly" and "must have" and other statements which do not reflect the fact that they are making speculative leaps. I would have been far more impressed if Hazelton had dialed back the historical fiction element and been more circumspect in her attempt to portray Jezebel's state of mind.

That said. . . this book would be of interest to anyone who has heard the story of Jezebel, or even someone who didn't know the story but still knew that to call a woman a "Jezebel" is to lable her wicked, treacherous, and sexually suspect. Not only is there actually nothing in the biblical text to rate that kind of judgement, Hazelton's revelations about the deeper cultural and political context of Jezebel's life make those labels absurd. ( )

Hazleton has been a journalist and a psychologist in Israel, and she puts both sets of experience to good use in Jezebel, an exploration of the historical figure behind the woman who is the supposed villain of the biblical book of Kings. The great Scarlet Woman of the Old Testament proves to be a very effective focus for viewing the cultures and politics of the Ancient Near East, and the development of Hebrew monotheism.

Although the book is very pleasant and speedy reading, the author musters a great deal of the latest archaeology and comparative ancient literature to provide persuasive reconstructions of the people and places from the biblical account. The Tyrian princess Isha-Baal (i.e. Jezebel) emerges from this book as a figure whose integrity is evident in the Bible despite the efforts of its redactors, and the court dynamics of the vanished city of Jezreel create a paradigm for "culture wars" in subsequent ages.

To all this, Halzleton adds her own experiences of visiting various sites where the story of Kings is supposed to have occurred, a device which helps her to tie reflections about gender, power politics, and religious fanaticism in ancient Israel together with the same topics in modernity.

I read this in conjunction with two other projects related to the prophets and Elijah in particular and found it a wonderfully refreshing alternative and complement to the story told in Kings. Who would have thought it would lead me to Virgil? Hazelton's book is a quick and satisfying summer read, especially for the girls! ( )