The name of Jezebel appears anciently (as in modem times) to have become proverbial for a wicked terma- gant (comp. 2 Kings ix, 22), and in this sense it is prob- ably used in Rev. ii, 20, where, instead of "that woman Jezebel" (r/)v yvvniKa 'ltZaih)X), many editors prefer the reading "thy wife Jezebel" (rii]v ym'a'iKu nov'lsZ- nj-iiX), i. e. of the bishop of the Church at Thyatira, who seems to have assumed the office of a public teach- er, although herself as corrupt in doctrine as in prac- tice. In this address to the representative of the Church she is called his wife, i. e. one for whose char- acter and conduct, as being a member of the congrega- tion over which he had charge, he was responsible, and whom he should have taken care that the Church had long since repudiated. Her proper name is jirobably withheld through motives of delicacy. We need not suppose that she was literally guilty of licentiousness, but only that she disseminated and acted upon such cor- rupt religious principles as made her resemble the idol- atrous wife of Ahab in her public influence. (See Ja- blonski, Di^s. cJe Jeznbeh Thi/ntirenor. pseudo-jjrophet-: essa, Frankf. 1739 ; Stuart's Comment, ad loc.) Others, however, maintain a more literal interpretation of the passage (see Clarke and Alford, ad loc). See Nicolai-
JEZELUS
916
JEZIRAH
Jeze'lus (\iZri\og), the Griccizcd form (in the Apocrvj-lia) of the name of two Jews whose sons are said to have retuniecl from Babylon with Ezra; but a comi)arison with the Hebrew text seems to indicate an identity or else confusion,
1. (Vulgate ZecMeus.) The father of Sechenias, of "the sons"of Zathoe" (1 Escbr, viii, 32); evidently the jAiiAZiKr- of Ezra viii, 5.
2. (Vulg. Jfhihis.) The father of Abadias, of " the sons of Joab" (1 Esdr. viii, ob) ; evidently the Jeiiiel of Ezra viii, 9.
Je'zer {l\ch.Ye'tser,'^'S''^, formation; Sept. 'I(T(T««p, '\f(Ttn, but in Chron. 'Zaap V. r. 'Affj;p), the third named of the four sous ofNaphtali (Gen.xlvi,'24; Nnmb.xxvi, 49; 1 Chron. vii, 13), and progenitor of the family of jE7,EniTES (Hcb. Yitsri', i"iS% Septuag. 'Uatpl, Numb. xxvi,40; seclzui). B.C. 1850.
Je'zerite (Numb. xxvi,49). See Jezeh.
Jezi'ah (Heb. Yizziyah', ^ilj)-;7) for '^^"■^•'% ■"prinl- hd hy Jdionih; or perhaps to he written in^T'l'i I''X'/"/«', for "'^"■'1^, assembled by Jehovah, comp. .Teziei,; Sept. ' A ^1 a, Vulgate Jezia), an Israelite, one of the "sons" of Parosii, who divorced his Gentile wife after the exile (Ezra x, 25). B.C. 459.
Je'ziel [some Jezi'iV] (Heb. YezieV, h'X^I'^, as in the margin, assembled by God; Sept. 'A^iip<. v. r. 'lujr/X, etc. ; Vulg. Jaziel), a " son" of Azmaveth, who, with his brother, was one of the Benjamite archers that rein- forced David at Ziklag (I Chron. xii, 3). B.C. 1055.
Jezirah (ST^'^'^1' "^BD, Sepher Yetsirdh), or the J'imk of Creation, is the name of one of the cabalistic books which, next to the Zoiiar, forms the principal source whence we derive our knowledge of Jewish mys- ticism. The age of the book it has thus far been im- ]iossible exactly to determine. Jewish tradition claims it to be oi divine origin. It was intrusted by the Lord to Abraham, and he handed it down to Akiba (q. v.). IModern scholars have come to the conclusion that the Jezirah is the i^roduct of the Jewish schools in Egypt at the time of Pliilo Jiuireus. Dr. Zunz, however, assigns it to the Gconastic period, the 8th or 9th century. For the latter assertion there seems to us to be no good rea- son, and wc arc inclined to believe it was composed during the period of the first IMishnaists, i. c. between a century before and about eighty years after the birth of Christ (comp. Etheridgo, Introd. to Heb. Lit. p. 300 sq. ; ICufield, Hist. Philos. p. 405). See Cakai.a, vol. ii. p. L We do this after having determined that the Hebrew of this work is of that dialectic kind used by (he learned •Jews at the time of the opening of the Christian lera. Indeed, it is barely possible that the work itself was a collection of fragments of various earlier times: a kind oU-esumi of what had hitherto been determined on the occult subject of which it treats. The Jezirah treats of the Creation of the World, and « is, in fact, an ancient offi.rt of the human mind to discover the jilan of the universe at large, and the law or band which unites its various parts into one harmonious whole. It opens its instructions with something of the tone and manner of the Bible, and announces that the universe bears upon itsrll the imprint of the name of God ; so that, bv means ol the great iianorama of the world, the mind may ac- • luire a conception of the Dcitv, and from the unitv winch reigns in the creation, itmav learn the oneness of the Creator." So far, so good. But now, instead of tracnig ni the universe the laws which govern it, so as to ascertain from those laws the thouijhts of the law- giver, '• It w sought rather to arrive at "the same end bv luKhnt; s..mc tangible analogy between the things which f-xist and the signs of thought, or the means bv which i'ioii;;l.t and knowledge are principallv communicntcd ana interpreted among men: and recourse is had for this purpose to the twenty-two letters of tlie Hebrew