Difference between revisions of "Jezreel"

<p> [[Jezreel]] ( ''Jĕz'Re-El'' ). ''God Hath Planted.'' 1. A city in the plain of the same name between Gilboa and Little Hermon. It was a boundary of Issachar. &nbsp;Joshua 19:18. Ahab chose it for his chief residence. The selection shows the ability of this wicked king. Near by were a temple and grove of Astarte, with an establishment of 400 priests supported by Jezebel. &nbsp;1 Kings 18:19; &nbsp;2 Kings 10:11. The palace of Ahab, &nbsp;1 Kings 21:1, probably containing his "ivory house," &nbsp;1 Kings 22:39, was on the eastern side of the city. Compare &nbsp;1 Kings 21:1; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:25; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:30; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:33. Jezebel lived by the city wall, and had a high window lacing eastward. &nbsp;2 Kings 9:30. It had a watch-tower, on which a sentinel stood. &nbsp;2 Kings 9:17. The gateway of the city on the east was also the gateway of the palace. &nbsp;2 Kings 9:34. The vineyard of Naboth was probably on the vineclad hill outside the city to the eastward. A spring near is now called ''ʾAin-Jalûd,'' or the "Spring of Goliath," and is the "fountain" or "spring" in "Jezreel." &nbsp;1 Samuel 29:1. After the fall of the house of Ahab, Jezreel also fell into a decline. It is now a miserable village of a dozen houses, and known as ''Zerin.'' 2. A town in Judah, in the neighborhood of the southern Carmel. &nbsp;Joshua 15:56. Here David in his wanderings took [[Ahinoam]] the [[Jezreelitess]] for his second wife. &nbsp;1 Samuel 27:3; &nbsp;1 Samuel 30:5 </p>

<li> A symbolical name given by Hosea to his oldest son (&nbsp;Hosea 1:4 ), in token of a great slaughter predicted by him, like that which had formerly taken place in the plain of Esdraelon (Compare &nbsp;Hosea 1:4,5 ). <div> <p> '''Copyright Statement''' These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton [[M.A., DD]]  Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by [[Thomas]] Nelson, 1897. Public Domain. </p> <p> '''Bibliography Information''' Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Jezreel'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/j/jezreel.html. 1897. </p> </div> </li>

<p> (Heb. Yizreel, '''''יְזְרְעֶאל''''' , once '''''יַזְרְעֵאל''''' , &nbsp;2 Kings 9:10; [[Sown]] by ''God;'' Sept. '''''Ι᾿Εζραήλ''''' , but sometimes '''''Ι᾿Εζρεήλ''''' , '''''Ι᾿Εζριήλ''''' , '''''Ι᾿Εζράελ''''' , or '''''Ι᾿Εζραέλ''''' ; [[Josephus]] '''''Ι᾿Εσράηλα''''' , ''Ant.'' 8, 13, 6; '''''Ι᾿Εσράελα''''' , ''Ant.'' 9, 6, 4), the name of two places and of several men. '''1.''' A town in the tribe of Issachar (&nbsp;Joshua 19:18), where the kings of Israel had a palace (&nbsp;2 Samuel 2:8 sq.), and where the court often resided (&nbsp;1 Kings 18:45; &nbsp;1 Kings 21:1; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:30), although Samaria was the metropolis of that kingdom. It is most frequently mentioned in the history of the house of Ahab. "In the neighborhood, or within the town probably, was a temple and grove of Astarte, with an establishment of 400 priests supported by Jezebel (&nbsp;1 Kings 16:33; &nbsp;2 Kings 10:11). The palace of Ahab (&nbsp;1 Kings 21:1; &nbsp;1 Kings 18:46), probably containing his '''''‘''''' ivory house' (&nbsp;1 Kings 22:39), was on the eastern side of the city, forming part of the city wall (comp. &nbsp;1 Kings 21:1; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:25; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:30; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:33). The seraglio, in which Jezebel lived, was on the city wall, and had a high window facing eastward (&nbsp;2 Kings 9:30). Close by, if not forming part of this seraglio (as Josephus supposes, ''Ant.'' 9, 6, 4), was a watchtower, on which a sentinel stood, to give notice of arrivals from the disturbed district beyond the [[Jordan]] (&nbsp;2 Kings 9:17). This watchtower, well known as '''''‘''''' the tower in Jezreel,' may possibly have been the tower or ''Migdal'' near which the [[Egyptian]] army was encamped in the battle between [[Necho]] and Josiah ( ''Herod.'' 2, 159). An ancient square tower which stands amongst the hovels of the modern village may be its representative. The gateway of the city on the east was also the gateway of the palace (&nbsp;2 Kings 9:34). Immediately in front of the gateway, and under the city wall, was an open space, such as existed before the neighboring city of [[Bethshan]] (&nbsp;2 Samuel 21:12), and is usually found by the walls of Eastern cities, under the name of '''''‘''''' the mounds' (see [[Arabian]] Nights, passim), whence the dogs, the scavengers of the East, prowled in search of offal (&nbsp;2 Kings 9:25). (See Jezebel). </p> <p> A little further east, but adjacent to the royal domain (&nbsp;1 Kings 21:1), was a smooth tract of land cleared out of the uneven valley (&nbsp;2 Kings 9:25), which belonged to Naboth, a citizen of Jezreel (&nbsp;2 Kings 9:25), by a hereditary right (&nbsp;1 Kings 21:3); but the royal grounds were so near that it would have easily been turned into a garden of herbs for the royal use (&nbsp;1 Kings 21:2). Here Elijah met Ahab (&nbsp;1 Kings 21:17)" (Smith). Here was the vineyard of Naboth, which Ahab coveted to enlarge the palace grounds (&nbsp;1 Kings 18:45-46; 1 Kings 21), and here Jehu executed his dreadful commission against the house of Ahab, when Jezebel, Jehoram, and all who were connected with that wretched dynasty perished (&nbsp;2 Kings 9:14-37; &nbsp;2 Kings 10:1-11). These horrid scenes appear to have given the kings of Israel a distaste for this residence, as it is not again mentioned in their history. It is, however, named by Hosea (&nbsp;Hosea 1:4; compare 1:11; 2:22); and in [[Judith]] (1:8; 4:3; 7:3) it occurs under the name of [[Esdraelon]] ( '''''Εσδρηλών''''' ), near Dothaim. In the days of Eusebius and [[Jerome]] it was still a large village, 12 R. miles from [[Scythopolis]] and 10 from Legio, called ''Esdraela'' ( '''''Εσδράηλα''''' , ''Onomast.'' s.v. '''''Ιεζραιέλ''''' , Jezrael); and in the same age it again occurs as ''Stradela'' ( ''Itin. Hieros.'' p. 586). Nothing more is heard of it till the time of the Crusades, when it was called by the [[Franks]] Parvum Gerinum, and by the Arabs Zerin (an evident corruption of the old name); and it is described as commanding a wide prospect on the east to the mountains of Gilead, and on the west to Mount Carmel (Will. Tyr. 22, 26). But this line of identification seems to have been afterwards lost sight of, and Jezreel came to be identified with Jenin. Indeed, the village of Zerin ceased to be mentioned by travelers till Turner, Buckingham, and others after them again brought it into notice; and it is still more lately that the identification of Zerin and Jezreel has been restored (Raumer, Pal '''''Ä''''' stina, p. 155; Schubert, 3, 164; Elliot, 2, 379; Robinson, 3, 164). </p> <p> Zerin is seated on the brow of a rocky and very steep descent into the great and fertile valley of Jezreel, which runs down between the mountains of Gilboa and Hermon. Lying comparatively high, it commands a wide and noble view, extending down the broad valley on the east as far as the Jordan (&nbsp;2 Kings 9:17) to Beisan (Bethshean), and on the west quite across the great plain to the mountains of Carmel (&nbsp;1 Kings 18:46). It is described by Dr. Robinson ( ''Researches'' , 3, 163) as a most magnificent site for a city, which, being itself a conspicuous object in every part, would naturally give its name to the whole region. In the valley directly under Zerin is a considerable fountain, and another still larger somewhat further to the east, under the northern side of Gilboa, called [[Ain]] Jalud. There can, therefore, be little question that as in Zerin we have Jezreel, so in the valley and the fountain we have the "valley of Jezreel" and the "fountain of Jezreel" of Scripture. Zerin has at present little more than twenty humble dwellings, mostly in ruins, and with few inhabitants. (See De Saulcy, 1, 79; 2, 306 sq.; Schwarz, p. 164; Thomson, 2, 180.) </p> <p> The inhabitants of this city were called JEZREELITES (Heb. Yezre '''''Ë''''' li', </p> <p> '''''יַזְרְעֵאלַי''''' , &nbsp;1 Kings 21:1; &nbsp;1 Kings 21:4; &nbsp;1 Kings 21:6-7; &nbsp;1 Kings 21:15-16; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:21; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:25). </p>