(Vol. ii., p. 357.)
There appear to be two serious objections to the idea of your correspondent
W.G.H. respecting the appearance of _Baal_ in this word: 1. The original
orthography ([Hebrew: 'iyzebel]); whereas the name of the deity is found on
all Phoenician monuments, where it enters largely into the composition of
proper names, written [Hebrew: b`l]: and, 2. The fact of female names being
generally on these same monuments (as tombstones and so forth) compounded
of the name of a _goddess_, specially Astarth ([Hebrew: 'atiorit] or
[Hebrew: `a]). I do not know that we have any example of a female name into
which _Baal_ enters.
The derivation of the word appears to be that given by Gesenius (s.v.);
that it is compounded of the root [Hebrew: zabal] (habitavit, cohabitavit)
and the negative [Hebrew: 'eiyn], and that its meaning is the same as
[Greek: alochos], casta: comp. _Agnes_. _Isabel_, in fact, would be a name
nearer the original than the form in which we have it.