Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen by Lesley Hazelton suggests that Jezebel was slandered for her polytheistic views rather than for her sexual behavior. Apparently "harlot" was a code word for "idol-worship". She was a Phoenician princess who brought her beliefs with her when she was married at the age of 15 to the king of monotheistic Israel.
Hazelton portrays Jezebel as a model of a tolerant and sophisticated Phoenician culture and Elijah as a fanatic who engineered the destruction of Israel in pursuit of regressive, religious purity.
