<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
.ancestors * {
display: block;
border: 2px solid lightgrey;
color: lightgrey;
padding: 5px;
margin: 15px;
}
</style>
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.12.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script>
$(document).ready(function(){
var listItemII = document.getElementById("dom");
$("li").closest("ul",listItemII).css({"color": "red", "border": "2px solid red"});
});
</script>
</head>
<body class="ancestors">body (great-great-grandparent)
<div style="width:500px;">div (great-grandparent)
<ul id="dom">ul (second ancestor - second grandparent)
<ul id="dom">ul (first ancestor - first grandparent)
<li>li (direct parent)
<span>span</span>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
</body>
</html>