• Jewels and Precious Stones
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • Ezekiel also, when beholding a vision of Jehovah’s glory, saw “something in appearance like sapphire stone [a deep blue], the likeness of a throne.” (Ezek. 1:25-28; 10:1) The glory of Jehovah God himself is likened to the dazzling beauty of gem stones, for when the apostle John beheld God’s heavenly throne, he said: “The one seated is, in appearance, like a jasper stone and a precious red-colored stone, and round about the throne there is a rainbow like an emerald in appearance.”—Rev. 4:1-3, 9-11.

      “The holy city, New Jerusalem,” that is, “the Lamb’s wife,” is represented as having a radiance “like a most precious stone, as a jasper stone shining crystal-clear.” The twelve foundations of its wall “were adorned with every sort of precious stone,” a different stone for each foundation: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, hyacinth and amethyst. The city’s twelve gates were twelve pearls.—Rev. 21:2, 9-21; see CORAL and separate articles on individual types of precious stones.

  • Jezebel
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • JEZEBEL

      (Jezʹe·bel).

      Some scholars think the original Phoenician name meant “Baal is exalted” or “Baal is a husband,” and that it was deliberately altered to a form less offensive to Hebrews, meaning “unexalted” or “unhusbanded.”

      1. Wife of Ahab, the king of Israel in the latter half of the tenth century B.C.E. She was a domineering queen who proved to be a strong advocate of Baalism at the expense of Jehovah’s worship. In this she was like her father Ethbaal, the king of Sidon, evidently the one identified by the ancient historian Menander (according to Josephus’ Against Apion, i, 18) as a priest of Astarte (Ashtoreth) who gained the throne by murdering his own king.—1 Ki. 16:30, 31.

      Quite likely Ahab’s marriage to this pagan princess Jezebel was for political reasons, without regard for the disastrous religious consequences. And after his having made such an alliance it was only the next logical step in pleasing his devout Baal-worshiping wife to build a temple and altar for Baal, erect a phallic “sacred pole,” and then join her in this idolatrous worship. In all of this Ahab did more to offend Jehovah than all the kings of Israel prior to him.—1 Ki. 16:32, 33.

      Jezebel, not satisfied that Baal worship was officially approved by the throne, endeavored to exterminate the worship of Jehovah from the land. To that end she ordered all the prophets of Jehovah killed, but God warned Elijah to escape across the Jordan, and Obadiah, the palace steward, hid a hundred others in caves. (1 Ki. 17:1-3; 18:4, 13) Some time later Elijah again fled for his life when Jezebel, by personal messenger, vowed to kill him.—1 Ki. 19:1-4, 14.

      There came to be 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the sacred pole, all of whom Jezebel cared for and fed from her own royal table at the State’s expense. (1 Ki. 18:19) But in spite of her fanatical efforts to obliterate the worship of Jehovah, in the end ‘all the knees that had not bent down to Baal, and every mouth that had not kissed him,’ Jehovah revealed, amounted to seven thousand persons.—1 Ki. 19:18.

      In Jezebel’s treatment of Naboth we are given another view of this woman’s wicked character, a character that was extremely selfish, unscrupulous, arrogant, cruel. When Ahab began to sulk and pout because Naboth refused to sell him his hereditary vineyard, this unscrupulous woman shamelessly overstepped her husband’s headship and arrogantly declared: “I myself shall give you the vineyard of Naboth.” (1 Ki. 21:1-7) With that she wrote letters, signed and sealed in the name of Ahab, ordering the older men and nobles of Naboth’s hometown to arrange for good-for-nothing fellows falsely to accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king, and then to take Naboth out and stone him to death. In this way Naboth was put to death by a perversion of justice. Ahab then seized the vineyard and prepared to turn it into a vegetable garden.—1 Ki. 21:8-16.

      For such wanton disregard for righteousness Jehovah decreed that Ahab and his line of descent would be removed in a clean sweep of destruction. “Without exception no one has proved to be like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah, whom Jezebel his wife egged on.” Hence, Jehovah’s judgment against Jezebel: “The very dogs will eat up Jezebel.”—1 Ki. 21:17-26.

      In the course of time Ahab died and was succeeded first by Jezebel’s son Ahaziah, who ruled for two years, and then by another of her sons, Jehoram, who ruled for the next twelve years before Ahab’s dynasty finally ended. (1 Ki. 22:40, 51-53; 2 Ki. 1:17; 3:1) During the reigns of these sons, Jezebel, now in the role of queen mother, continued to influence the land with her fornications and sorceries. (2 Ki. 9:22) Her influence was even felt in Judah to the S, where her wicked daughter Athaliah, who had married Judah’s king, perpetuated the Jezebel spirit in that southern kingdom for another seven years after her mother’s death.—2 Ki. 8:16-18, 25-27; 2 Chron. 22:2, 3; 24:7.

      When the news reached Jezebel that Jehu had killed her reigning son Jehoram and was on his way to Jezreel, she artfully painted her eyes, adorned her hair and framed herself in an upper window overlooking the palace square. There she greeted the conqueror upon his triumphal entry, saying: “Did it go all right with Zimri the killer of his lord?” This sarcastic greeting was probably a veiled threat, for Zimri, after killing his king and usurping the throne, committed suicide seven days later when his life was threatened.—2 Ki. 9:30, 31; 1 Ki. 16:10, 15, 18.

      Jehu’s response to this hostile reception was: “Who is with me? Who?” When two or three court officials looked out, he commanded, “Let her drop!” In the violence of the fall her blood splattered the wall and the horses, and she was trodden underfoot, presumably by the horses. Shortly thereafter when men came to bury this “daughter of a king,” why, they found the scavenger dogs had already practically disposed of her, just as “the word of Jehovah that he spoke by means of his servant Elijah” had foretold, leaving only the skull, feet and the palms of her hands as evidence that all that Jehovah says comes true.—2 Ki. 9:32-37.

      2. That “woman” in the congregation of Thyatira “who calls herself a prophetess.” This “woman” no doubt was given the name Jezebel because her wicked conduct resembled that of Ahab’s wife. Not only did this “woman” teach false religion and mislead many to commit fornication and idolatry; she also callously refused to repent. For this reason “the Son of God” declared she would be thrown into a sickbed and her children would be killed, to show that each one receives according to one’s deeds.—Rev. 2:18-23.

  • Jezreel
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • JEZREEL

      (Jezʹre·el), Jezreelite (Jezʹre·el·ite) [God will sow seed].

      The name “Jezreel” was borne by two different men. (1 Chron. 4:3; Hos. 1:4) There were also two cities known as Jezreel, one in the mountainous region of Judah (Josh. 15:56) and the other on the border of Issachar’s territory. (Josh. 19:17, 18) An inhabitant of either city was called a Jezreelite(ss). (1 Sam. 27:3; 1 Ki. 21:1) The geographical area embraced by the Valley of Jezreel is often restricted to the low plain extending in a southeasterly direction from the city of Jezreel in Issachar to Beth-shean. But at times the designation “Valley of Jezreel” is also used today to include the low plain W of Jezreel or the Plain of Esdraelon (the Greek form of the Hebrew Jezreel).

      1. A descendant of Judah; possibly the forefather of the inhabitants of Jezreel (No. 3, below) or its principal settler.—1 Chron. 4:1, 3; compare ATROTH-BETH-JOAB.

      2. Son of the prophet Hosea by his wife Gomer (Hos. 1:3, 4); for the prophetic significance of “Jezreel” see No. 4.

      3. A city in the mountainous region of Judah, perhaps founded by No. 1 above. (Josh. 15:20, 48, 56) This Jezreel doubtless was the home of David’s wife Ahinoam. (1 Sam. 25:43) Some tentatively identify it with Khirbet Tarrama, about five and a half miles (c. 9 kilometers) SW of Hebron.

      4. A city on the border of Issachar’s territory. (Josh. 19:17, 18) Today Jezreel is linked with Zerʽin, a town located about seven miles (c. 11 kilometers) N of Jenin (En-gannim). Just to the SE lies a crescent-shaped ridge of limestone hills traditionally identified with Mount Gilboa.

      Situated at the edge of a rocky descent, Zerʽin overlooks the entire low plain of Jezreel, extending southeastward for nearly twelve miles (19 kilometers) and measuring approximately two miles (3 kilometers) in width. In the time of Joshua this area was controlled by Canaanites having a strong, well-equipped chariotry. (Josh. 17:16) It was also in the low plain of Jezreel that Gideon and his three hundred men witnessed Jehovah’s saving hand as the enemy forces of the Midianites, Amalekites and Easterners turned against one another in confusion. (Judg. 6:33; 7:12-22) Later, the Israelite army under King Saul, encamped by the spring in Jezreel (perhaps ‘Ain Jalud on the NW spur of Mount Gilboa or ‘Ain el-Meiyiteh below the town of Zerʽin), faced the enemy Philistines. Thereafter, from Jezreel report was received about the deaths of Saul and his son Jonathan. (1 Sam. 29:1, 11; 2 Sam. 4:4) Jezreel and its vicinity then came to be part of the territory ruled by Saul’s son Ish-bosheth. (2 Sam. 2:8, 9) And, while Solomon reigned, the assignment of the deputy Baana included the fertile plain of Jezreel.—1 Ki. 4:7, 12.

      During the latter half of the tenth century B.C.E. Jezreel served as the royal residence for Israel’s King Ahab and his successor Jehoram, although Samaria was the actual capital of the northern kingdom. (1 Ki. 18:45, 46; 21:1; 2 Ki. 8:29) In the vineyard of Naboth near the palace at Jezreel, the prophet Elijah uttered Jehovah’s judgment against the house of Ahab. (1 Ki. 21:17-29) The prophecy was fulfilled. Jehu slew Ahab’s son King Jehoram and then had his corpse thrown into the tract of Naboth’s field. Ahab’s wife Jezebel became food for the scavenger dogs of Jezreel when dropped from a window at Jehu’s command. The heads of Ahab’s seventy sons, executed by their caretakers in Samaria, were piled up in two heaps at the gate of Jezreel. None of Ahab’s distinguished men, acquaintances and priests at Jezreel escaped.—2 Ki. 9:22-37; 10:5-11.

      HOSEA’S PROPHECY

      Seemingly, the words of Jehovah to Hosea (1:4) allude to Jehu’s destroying the house of Ahab as “the acts of bloodshed of Jezreel.” Although divinely rewarded for this executional work by being assured of a dynasty of kings to the fourth generation, Jehu, as suggested by his failure to eradicate calf worship, may not have had an altogether pure motive. (2 Ki. 10:30, 31) Perhaps his case parallels that of Babylon. Though serving as an instrument to execute Jehovah’s judgment and rewarded accordingly, Babylon’s presumptuousness required that her bloodguiltiness be avenged.—Jer. 27:5-8; 50:14, 29-34; 51:34, 35; Ezek. 29:18-20.

      The prophetic name “Jezreel,” by which Jehovah instructed Hosea to call his son by Gomer, pointed to a future accounting against the house of Jehu. That accounting came when Jehu’s great-great-grandson Zechariah, after ruling for six months, was murdered, and the assassin Shallum seized the throne. (2 Ki. 15:8-10) Thus ended the dynasty of Jehu. About fifty years later, in 740 B.C.E., when the northern kingdom fell to Assyria and its inhabitants were exiled, the royal rule of the house of Israel ceased completely. At that time the “bow of Israel,” that is, its military strength, was definitely broken. The prophecy had, indicated that this would take place in the low plain of Jezreel, perhaps because the Assyrians gained a decisive victory there.—Hos. 1:4, 5.

      However, through his prophet Hosea, Jehovah also pointed to a favorable meaning of “Jezreel.” By regathering the remnant of Israel and Judah and then bringing his people back to their land, Jehovah would sow seed.—Hos. 1:11; 2:21-23; compare Zechariah 10:8-10.

  • Joab
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • JOAB

      (Joʹab) [Jehovah is father].

      1. Son of Seraiah, a descendant of Kenaz of the tribe of Judah. Joab was “the father of Ge-harashim” (meaning “valley of craftsmen”), “for,” says the Bible account, “craftsmen are what they became.” Evidently Joab was “father” or founder of the community of craftsmen living in the valley.—1 Chron. 4:1, 13, 14; see GE-HARASHIM.

      2. The second of three sons of David’s half-sister Zeruiah (the daughter of David’s mother, evidently not by Jesse, but by an earlier marriage to Nahash—2 Sam. 17:25). Joab was therefore the nephew of David. His brothers were Abishai and Asahel. (2 Sam. 8:16; 1 Chron. 2:13-16) In identifying these three men the mother’s name is recorded rather than the father’s, because she was David’s sister; thus the relationship of David to the three men is made clear.

      CHARACTERISTICS

      Joab was an able general, a man of organizational ability, resourceful and decisive. On the other hand, he was an ambitious opportunist, vengeful, cunning, and at times unscrupulous.

      Joab was at the head of David’s men at the time Ish-bosheth the son of Saul ruled over all Israel with the exception of the tribe of Judah, which clung to David. (2 Sam. 2:10) The servants of Ish-bosheth and those of David were drawn up against one another at the pool of Gibeon, Ish-bosheth’s forces being under command of Saul’s uncle Abner, who had been responsible for putting Ish-bosheth on the throne. As the men sat facing one another, Abner suggested a combat between twelve men from each side. When they grabbed hold of one another by the head, each ran his opponent through with the sword, all falling down dead together. (2 Sam. 2:12-16) The issue not being settled by the combat, a full-scale battle resulted. A count afterward revealed that Ish-bosheth’s forces lost 360 men, and David’s, only twenty.—2 Sam. 2:30, 31.

      During the fight, as Abner fled, Joab’s fleet-footed brother Asahel pursued Abner. Despite remonstrances and warnings from Abner, Asahel persisted until finally Abner thrust backward with the butt end of his spear, piercing him through. (2 Sam. 2:18-23) Reaching the hill of Ammah, Abner and his men gathered on its top, from which Abner made appeal to stop the fighting in order to avoid bitterness