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Elijahאליהו

860 BCE – 850 BCE · Northern Kingdombiblical
Elijah

Description

Elijah was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab, according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible.

Facts

Bornc. 900 BC, possibly Tishbe
Diedc. 850 BC, near Jericho
Venerated inJudaismChristianityIslamDruze faith
Feast20 July (Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod)
PatronageCarmelite Order11th Guards Air Assault BrigadeBosnia and HerzegovinaDruze peopleHaifaMount CarmelMelkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Akka
InfluencedElisha

Life & work in brief

Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.

TopicSummary
Biblical accountsAccording to the Bible, by the 9th century BC, the Kingdom of Israel, once united under Solomon, had been divided into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah (which retained the historical capital of Jerusalem along with its Temple).
HistoricityScholars 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.
In the Aggadah, Talmud, and extra-canonical booksJewish legends about Elijah abound in the Aggadah, which is found throughout various collections of rabbinic literature, including the Babylonian Talmud.
In JudaismAt Jewish circumcision ceremonies, a chair is set aside for the use of the prophet Elijah.
In Jewish folkloreThe volume of references to Elijah in folklore stands in marked contrast to that in the canon.
In ChristianityIn the New Testament, Jesus would say for those who believed, John the Baptist was Elijah, who would come before the "great and terrible day" as predicted by Malachi.
Pagan associations and mountaintopsStarting in the fifth century, Elias is often connected with Helios, the Sun.
In IslamElijah (Arabic: إلياس, romanized: Ilyās) is mentioned as a prophet in Quran 6:85.
In Druze religionDruze tradition honors several "mentors" and "prophets", and Elijah is honored as a prophet.
In the Baháʼí FaithIn the Baháʼí Faith, the Báb, founder of the Bábí faith, is believed to be the return of Elijah and John the Baptist.
ControversiesThat ravens fed Elijah by the brook Chorath has been questioned.

Prophecies

Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to Elijah, with sources.

Prophecy / visionSource
No dew nor rain these years except by my word1 Kgs 17:1
Fire falls on the Carmel offering; YHWH, He is God1 Kgs 18:38
Before the great and terrible day of YHWH, Elijah is sentMal 4:5