Naboth is a significant figure in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in 1 Kings 21. He was a Jezreelite who owned a vineyard next to the palace of King Ahab of Israel in Jezreel. Here’s the core of the story:
- Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard to turn it into a vegetable garden. He offered money or a better vineyard in exchange.
- Naboth refused, citing Israelite law that forbade selling ancestral land—it was considered a sacred inheritance.
- Queen Jezebel intervened by orchestrating a false trial. She had Naboth accused of blasphemy and treason, crimes punishable by death.
- Naboth was stoned to death, and Ahab took possession of the vineyard.
- The prophet Elijah confronted Ahab, delivering a divine judgment: Ahab and Jezebel would face dire consequences for their injustice2.
Naboth’s story has become a symbol of righteous resistance against corrupt power—a man who upheld divine law even at the cost of his life. His name often surfaces in discussions of justice, land rights, and prophetic courage. Want to explore how this story echoes in later literature or political thought?
King Ahab said “Out with the Old, in with the New. Get with the Times Naboth! We need Vegetables now, you had your chance, I’ll take care of you myself, have at you!”
Perhaps a Gentrification Argument..
An Account of Ancient Lynching. When the community needs vegetables, stop making more wine. The torches and pitchforks come quick when you mess with the peasantry. Feed the hungry! I’m glad to be blessed with a Post Scarcity, Food Secure people in the Gulf Coast Area. The Nutrition Assistance available like Meals on Wheels help with having such efficient agriculture that one farmer can feed a million people these days creating surplus for ethanol even. By the way, speaking on Ethanol, India and Brazil are pulling the rug out from under United States producers, fyi.