City
Jezreel
JEZ-ree-el · Modern Tel Jezreel / Zir'in, Israel
Jezreel is a city of the biblical world, known today as Tel Jezreel / Zir'in, Israel.
What is known
- Jezreel served as a royal residence for Ahab and Jezebel, adjacent to Naboth's vineyard, which Jezebel seized after arranging false charges that led to Naboth's stoning (1 Kings 21)
- Jehu's violent purge of the house of Ahab centered on Jezreel, including Jezebel being thrown from a palace window and eaten by dogs, fulfilling Elijah's earlier prophecy (2 Kings 9:30-37)
- Excavations at Tel Jezreel in the 1990s (Tel Aviv University and British teams) uncovered a massive Iron Age rectangular enclosure with a rock-cut moat, consistent with a fortified royal/military compound
- The city overlooks the Jezreel Valley, historically the most fertile grain-producing plain in ancient Israel
History
- Founded
- Iron Age royal city, prominent as a residence of the Omride dynasty in the 9th century BC
- Population
- Royal town; excavations reveal a large fortified enclosure rather than a dense civilian population
- Industry
- Royal administrative and military center; surrounded by fertile agricultural land, including vineyards
- Coordinates
- 32.5678° N, 35.3253° E
Rulers and powers
- Ahab and Jezebel — c. 874-853 BC
- Jehu's dynasty — from 841 BC
Scripture references
- 1 Kings 21:1
- 1 Kings 21:15-16
- 2 Kings 9:30-37
- 2 Kings 10:11
- Joshua 19:18
- Hosea 1:4-5
On a modern map
Further reading
Reflect
At Jezreel, a king seized a vineyard simply because he wanted it — how do you handle wanting what isn't yours?
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