In the twenty-first chapter of the first book of the Kings,
the story of Ahab and Naboth is encountered. A quick summary of the story
has Ahab, the king of Israel, desirous of obtaining a vineyard that belongs to
a man by the name of Naboth. Ahab offers to purchase the vineyard or to
trade a more valuable piece of land to Naboth in exchange for his vineyard that
was said to adjoin the palace grounds. This would appear to be an offer
of a legitimate and appropriate transaction between two parties.
However, Naboth politely declines the offer, saying “The
Lord forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance” (1 Kings
21:3b). As Ahab had his heart set on acquiring the vineyard, it is said
that this rejection made him both “bitter and angry” (21:4). It is at
this point that Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, enters the story. Jezebel noticed her husband’s downcast demeanor,
and naturally inquired as to its source. Ahab informed Jezebel about the
situation with Naboth and his vineyard, with this apparently spurring Jezebel
to take matters into her own hands to obtain the vineyard.
It is reported that Jezebel
“wrote out orders, signed Ahab’s name to them, and sealed them with his
seal. She then sent the orders to the leaders and to the nobles who lived
in Naboth’s city. This is what she wrote: ‘Observe a time of fasting and
seat Naboth in front of the people. Also seat two villains opposite him
and have them testify, “You cursed God and the king.” Then take him out
and stone him to death.’” (21:8-10)
It is not at all difficult to see what is at work here, what
is left out, and what is implied. This is a shrewd albeit vicious plan
that has been hatched by Jezebel, and it is rooted in a knowledge of public
sensibilities that would appear to be heavily dependent on ancient near eastern
meal culture and its associated customs. It begins with the declaration
of a time of fasting, which is generally associated in Scripture with penitence
on behalf of an individual or a people, though that is not the case here. Consequently, Jezebel corrupts the
practice. Naturally, a time of fasting would be concluded by a time of
feasting, and Jezebel (with it taken to be from Ahab’s hand) has given an order
related to Naboth’s city.
Though Naboth owns a vineyard
adjacent to the king’s abode, this does not necessarily mean that he lived on
this piece of land, but that he either worked the land himself or hired
laborers to work it for him. Owing to this, it can be presumed that
Naboth is probably a relatively wealthy individual, who is likely to have
possessed some measure of honor within the community that would operate on the
basis of honor and shame.
Accordingly, when considering the location of his vineyard
(adjacent to the palace grounds), it would not come as a surprise to anyone in
the community that Naboth is being chosen out for a special honor by the king,
who is going to be hosting a community feast in honor of Naboth. Consequently, it would be quite likely that,
at this feast, Naboth would occupy the seat of honor (however that would have
worked out in that time and place) at the feast that followed the fast.
Together with this, there is also this mention of seating
two “villains” opposite Naboth at this feast.
Naturally, these men will not be known to the community as villains, but
rather, since this story is a decided polemic against Jezebel that seems to
seek to at least partially exculpate Ahab from blame in this manner, the men
are going to play the villain in the story, right along with Jezebel.
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