Elijah
Elijah (/ɪˈlaɪdʒə/ il-EYE-jə; Hebrew: אֵלִיָּהוּ, romanized: ʾĒlīyyāhū, meaning "My God is Yahweh[9]/YHWH";[10][11] Greek form: Elias[a] /eːˈlias/) was a Jewish prophet and a miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel[12] during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible.
This article is about the prophet. For other uses, see Elijah (disambiguation).
Elijah
possibly Tishbe
20 July (Catholic Church,[3] Eastern Orthodox Church,[4] and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod[5])
In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worship of the Hebrew God over that of the Canaanite deity Baal. God also performed many miracles through Elijah, including resurrection, bringing fire down from the sky, and entering heaven alive "by fire."[13] He is also portrayed as leading a school of prophets known as "the sons of the prophets."[14] Following his ascension, Elisha, his disciple and most devoted assistant, took over his role as leader of this school. The Book of Malachi prophesies Elijah's return "before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD,"[15] making him a harbinger of the Messiah and of the eschaton in various faiths that revere the Hebrew Bible. References to Elijah appear in Sirach, the New Testament, the Mishnah and Talmud, the Quran, the Book of Mormon, and Baháʼí writings. Scholars generally agree that a historical figure named Elijah existed in ancient Israel, yet some scholars argue that the biblical portrayal of him reflects legendary and theological embellishment rather than purely historical documentation of his actions and influence.
In Judaism, Elijah's name is invoked at the weekly Havdalah rite that marks the end of Shabbat, and Elijah is invoked in other Jewish customs, among them the Passover Seder and the brit milah (ritual circumcision). He appears in numerous stories and references in the Haggadah and rabbinic literature, including the Babylonian Talmud. According to some Jewish interpretations, Elijah will return during the End of Times.[16]
The Christian New Testament notes that some people thought that Jesus was, in some sense, Elijah,[17] but it also makes clear that John the Baptist is "the Elijah" who was promised to come in Malachi 3:1; 4:5.[18] According to accounts in all three of the Synoptic Gospels, Elijah appeared with Moses during the Transfiguration of Jesus.
Elijah in Islam appears in the Quran as a prophet and messenger of God, where his biblical narrative of preaching against the worshipers of Baal is recounted in a concise form.[19]
Due to his importance to Muslims, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians, Elijah has been venerated as the patron saint of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1752.
Historicity[edit]
Scholars generally agree that a prophet named Elijah existed in the Kingdom of Israel during the reigns of Kings Ahab and Ahaziah, that he was a religious figure of great personal dynamism and conservative zeal and the leader of resistance to the rise of Baal worship in Israel in the ninth century BC.[54]
In the opinion of some scholars, however, the biblical presentation of the prophet cannot be taken as historical documentation of his activity. The biblical texts present his career through the eyes of popular legend and subsequent theological reflection, which consider him a personality of heroic proportions. In this process his actions and relations to the people and the King became stereotyped, and the presentation of his behavior paradigmatic.[55]
In Baháʼí Faith[edit]
In the Baháʼí Faith, the Báb, founder of the Bábí Faith, is believed to be the return of Elijah and John the Baptist.[167] Both Elijah and John the Baptist are considered to be Lesser Prophets, whose stations are below that of a Manifestation of God like Jesus Christ, Buddha, the Báb or Bahá'u'lláh. The Báb is buried on Mount Carmel, where Elijah had his confrontation with the prophets of Baal.[168]
