Tel Jezreel overview

The city of Jezreel lies along the southern edge of the Jezreel Valley and near the foot of the Gilboa Mountains. The city is long gone, but it was once home to a vineyard owner named Naboth (2 Kings 21). When Ahab’s wife Jezebel had Naboth murdered for his vineyard, the king was confronted by Elijah (and almost certainly, his disciple Elisha). Ahab repented, but Jezebel did not. She was later thrown down from an upper-story window to the streets of Jezreel. As had been prophesied, dogs ate her before anyone could give her a proper burial. A tel is a hill that once served as the foundation of a city. In ancient times, after a war or earthquake destroyed a city, a new city was built on top of the old. Archaeologists dig in a tel, like this one, to discover clues about the past. The deeper they dig, the older the history.