October 22, 2024
Some religious leaders are saying that Kamala Harris has a “Jezebel spirit.” They mean that she is under the influence of demons. Jezebel is also used as a term for a sexually promiscuous woman.
I never thought about Jezebel much until I read The Caves of Steel, by Isaac Asimov. The main character points out that Jezebel was a faithful wife, devoted to her husband’s interests. In Asimov’s Guide to the Bible, he points out that she was politically savvy as well. Furthermore, when she painted her face, it was to hide any sign of grief and to look regal, not to entice the conquering king. She wouldn’t have won Neighbor of the Year, and I would never have crossed her, but she wasn’t demonic.
So, on the bad side, we have sketchy legal practices (Naboth’s vineyard), and cruelty to prophets (and to Naboth).
On the plus side we have religious fervor and devotion to her husband’s interests. You’d think that the preachers would really go for that.
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