Jezrael

Jezreel

Yizri'el
Tel Jezreel looking east toward Gilboa.
Shown within Israel
Location	Yizre'el, Israel
Region	Jezreel Valley
Coordinates	32°33′28.27″N 35°19′40.63″E / 32.5578528°N 35.3279528°E / 32.5578528; 35.3279528
Type	palace
Part of	town
History
Builder	Tribe of Issachar, Ahab
Material	stone
Cultures	Hebrew, Kingdom of Israel
Associated with	Ahab, Jezebel, Naboth, Ahinoam, Jehu, Elijah
Site notes
Excavation dates	1990-1996
Archaeologists	David Ussishkin, John Woodhead

Jezreel (Hebrew: יזרעאל‎ Yizri'el, "God will sow") was an ancient Israelite city and fortress originally within the boundaries of the Tribe of Issachar, and later within the northern Kingdom of Israel. Prior to the division of the United Kingdom of Israel, the city was the hometown of Ahinoam, third wife of King David, Michal, Saul's daughter being the first and Abigail, widow of Nabal being his second. According to the First Book of Kings, the royal palace of King Ahab, "one of the most famous of the royal residences of the kings of Israel", was in Jezreel, adjacent to the vineyard of Naboth. Ahab's capital remained in Samaria.

The modern archaeological site is located on a low hill on the southern edge of the Jezreel Valley's eastern edge in northern Israel. Archaeologists David Ussishkin and John Woodhead believe that Jezreel was a fortress that served as a cavalry base for King Ahab.

According to , following the prophet Elijah's victory over the prophets of Ba'al at Mount Carmel, Elijah instructs Ahab to return home to Jezreel, where he would be reporting on events to Jezebel, his wife, but "the hand of the Lord was upon Elijah" and he reached Jezreel ahead of Ahab. Jezreel is around 50km from Mount Carmel.

As recounted in , after Jehu kills King Jehoram, he confronts Jezebel in Jezreel and urges her eunuchs to kill Jezebel by throwing her out of a window. They comply, tossing her out the window and leaving her in the street to be eaten by dogs. Only Jezebel's skull, feet, and hands remained.