text:
What is Allergy Testing?
When you are allergic, your body is reacting to a particular substance that should not normally bother you. These substances are called allergens. Typical allergens include pollens, dust mites, animal dander, foods, insect stings and even medicines. To determine which substances are triggering your symptoms, your allergist/immunologist will test your skin using tiny amounts of commonly troublesome allergens.
Allergy testing is generally very safe and effective. Under the guidance of a trained Allergist-Immunologist, allergen skin test is considered the Gold Standard for the diagnosis of allergy.
Who Should be Tested for Allergies?
People of all ages with symptoms that suggest they have allergic disease can be tested. These symptoms include:
Respiratory symptoms: Nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, wheezing, watery eyes, itchy eyes, nose, throat
Skin symptoms: Eczema, hives, itchiness
Abdominal symptoms: Abdominal pain and diarrhea after eating certain foods
Severe life threatening reactions, or anaphylaxis: This typically occurs with ingestions of foods or medication or insect stings (i.e. bees, wasps, fire ants)
Why is Allergy Testing Important?
Allergy testing is vital in identifying which substances are causing your allergies, allowing you and your Allergy Partners allergist/immunologist to more effectively manage your symptoms.
Treatment options can range anywhere from allergen avoidance (i.e. minimizing dust exposure) to allergen immunotherapy (i.e. allergy shots). Allergen immunotherapy helps your body to develop immunity or tolerance to allergens.
What Types of Allergy Tests are Available?
There are a few different types of allergy tests. These are the most common:
Prick technique: A small amount of allergen is introduced into the skin by making a small puncture with a plastic applicator through a drop of the allergen extract.
Intradermal technique: This test involves injecting a small amount of allergen under the skin with a very small syringe. This form of testing is done if the skin prick tests are negative.
Blood (Immunocap) tests: This test involves drawing blood to determine if you have allergic, or IgE, antibodies. This type of test is usually only performed if you cannot stop medications that interfere with skin tests, or if you have a diffuse rash, such as eczema or psoriasis.
The allergen extracts are manufactured commercially and are standardized according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements.
As with any medical test, the results should be interpreted carefully and be coupled with a person's history and physical exam. Allergy Partners allergists/immunologists are uniquely trained experts in the interpretation of allergy tests.
What Will Happen During Allergy Testing?
During your test, allergic antibodies will activate skin cells, called mast cells. Mast cells release chemicals, such as histamine, that cause swelling and redness, only in the areas where the allergens have touched your skin. This process usually only takes 15 minutes. The hives usually resolve within 30 minutes to one hour.
Is There Anything I Should Do Prior to Testing?
There are some medications, such as antihistamines, that interfere with allergy testing. Your doctor will ask you to stop these medications for several days prior to testing. If you are unsure if a medication will interact with the test, you should contact your Allergy Partners physician for guidance.
Is There Anything I Should Refrain From Doing after Testing?
There are no real limitations to one's activity after testing. However, if you take a sedating antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine, you should avoid drinking alcohol or driving, as recommended on the bottle.


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Canon ha presentato una nuova reflex digitale di fascia consumer, la EOS 550D. Secondo la casa questo modello "reinventa" la reflex di fascia consumer, introducendo molte caratteristiche fino ad ora riservate ai modelli di livello semi-professionale. La EOS 550 ha un sensore CMOS da 18 megapixel in formato APS-C, processore d'immagine Digic IV, sensibilità da 100 a 6.400 ISO, espandibile fino a 12.800 ISO, con avanzate funzioni di riduzione del rumore che ne miglirano le prestazioni con luminosità scarsa, elaborazione d'immagine a 14 bit e scatto a raffica da 3.7 fps. Registrazione video Full HD a 30 fps e 720p a 60fps, completa di controlli manuali sull'esposizione, la profondità di campo e ingresso per microfono esterno. Display LCD da 3" con 1.040.000 pixel. Lasciamo spazio al comunicato stampa Canon (in inglese) e rimandiamo a successivi approfondimenti …
The EOS 550D redefines the boundaries of Canon's consumer DSLR range, incorporating technologies and features more commonly found in semi-professional DSLRs into the compact, lightweight body favoured by consumers. With a newly-developed 18 Megapixel (MP) APS-C CMOS sensor, coupled with Canon's advanced DIGIC 4 image processor and the ability to shoot Full HD movies, photography enthusiasts are empowered to explore new levels of creativity.
Creative control with no compromise on quality
The EOS 550D makes Canon's powerful imaging technology more accessible to consumers. Canon's advanced DIGIC 4 image processor and 18MP sensor support standard ISO settings of 100 – 6400 (expandable to 12800), while enhanced in-camera noise reduction technology boosts performance in low light conditions. The system's 14-bit image processing also produces smoother tonal gradation and natural looking colours for high quality prints and on-screen display.
For swift and accurate focusing, the EOS 550D features a 9-point AF system with one extra-sensitive cross–type point at the centre for f/2.8 or faster lenses. The EOS 550D also supports high-speed, continuous shooting at 3.7 frames per second (fps). These features provide users with the opportunity to exert greater control over their images, allowing them to capture split-second moments with ease and accuracy.
Continuing Canon's tradition of filtering new technology and features down from its advanced and professional DSLR ranges, the EOS 550D includes the iFCL metering system first launched in the EOS 7D. New for EOS is the ability to set the top limit for automatic ISO, allowing users to control the maximum amount of noise in their images. In a first for entry level EOS, exposure compensation and bracketing can be set up to plus or minus five and two stops respectively, allowing the photographer to take a number of differently exposed versions of the same shot to ensure they capture a well-exposed image, even in difficult lighting conditions.
"Digital SLR photography has captured the imagination of consumers globally," said Kieran Magee, Director of Product Planning, Consumer Products, Canon Europe. "Every year, more and more individuals are looking to record key life events with unrivalled quality or to test and explore their creativity. The EOS 550D redefines the entry level DSLR category, putting technologies and features previously the preserve of the professional into the hands of the consumer – allowing them to achieve outstanding results. With the EOS 550D, consumers are free to explore the limits of their own creative vision."
EOS Movies: Full HD video with creative control
As the ability to record Full HD video becomes increasingly important, Canon continues to deliver DSLR technology that sets the industry benchmark for multimedia functionality. The EOS 550D records video in full 1920x1080p HD resolution, allowing photographers to select the frame rate preferred from 30, 25 and 24fps, as well as offering 720p video at 60 and 50fps. The EOS 550D also includes a 3.5mm stereo microphone socket, enabling the use of an external microphone when capturing video.
Photographers can also take manual control over exposure settings, changing the depth of field and degree of motion blur to shoot more creatively. To provide the best possible video quality, highlight tone priority (HTP) can be set independently for movie capture, without changing any still image capture settings. In situations where the subject is further away, the EOS 550D Movie Crop function records with the central 640×480 pixel area of the sensor, creating an effective magnification of approximately seven times. The EOS 550D is the first in the EOS range to feature Movie Crop and gives consumers more flexibility to capture important moments which would otherwise be too far away.
A clear view of your world
The EOS 550D also allows photographers to view their images and video in unhindered clarity. A 7.7cm (3.0") 3:2 Clear View LCD screen with 1,040k dot resolution makes it possible to see 100% of captured images with no borders. The anti-reflective, water-repellent coating also makes it easier to see the screen in bright conditions and from a variety of angles.
EOS build – Canon quality
As consumers would expect from an EOS DSLR, the EOS 550D is built to a high quality specification. It features bigger, more intuitive buttons which have been redesigned following feedback from users. Based on this feedback, the EOS 550D also features an additional button on the new, battery grip, allowing aperture settings to be changed when shooting with the camera in a vertical position, without having to reorient the body.
Share the moment with friends and family
For EOS 550D photographers, shooting great pictures and video is just a first step. Thanks to an integrated HDMI port compatible with High-Definition Multimedia Interface – Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC), video and images stored on the EOS 550D can be viewed on an HD-ready TV and controlled via the TV remote.
The EOS 550D is fully compatible with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX series Speedlite flash units, including the compact Speedlite 270EX. The EOS 550D is also compatible with the new RC-6 Remote Control, allowing photographers to capture high quality stills and Full HD video without touching the camera body. The slimline infrared controller can trigger the shutter release from up to five metres away, with users able to select either immediate release or a two second delay for greater flexibility when shooting. As well as supporting EOS 550D, the RC-6 is also compatible with the EOS 450D, 500D, 7D and 5D Mark II.
CANON iMAGE GATEWAY – share your stories
Owners of the new Canon EOS 550D can join the CANON iMAGE GATEWAY, a free online facility for Canon users that makes it easy to share their photos and video. Users can take advantage of up to 2GB of personal storage space, creating enough room for hundreds of high-quality images. Mobile browsing is also supported, making it easy for friends and family to view photos on the move.
Features at a glance:
18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
DIGIC 4 processor with ISO 100-6400 (Expansion to 12800)
Continuous shooting at 3.7fps
Full HD movie recording with manual control and selectable frame rates
7.7cm (3.0") 3:2 Clear View LCD with 1,040k dots
iFCL metering System with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering Sensor
Quick Control screen to change shooting settings
Exposure compensation +/-5 stops.
Select maximum value for Auto ISO
External Microphone socket
Movie crop function
Download the full press release [PDF, 147 KB]
Download the Lifestyle release [PDF, 139 KB]
Download EOS 550D – Technologies Explained [PDF, 105 KB]
Download EOS 550D – Specification sheet [PDF, 90 KB]

subset: commoncrawl


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- Elijah
This article is about the prophet in the Hebrew Bible. For other uses, see Elijah (disambiguation).
Prophet Elijah
Elijah reviving the Son of the Widow of Zarephath by Louis Hersent
Prophet, Apostle to Ahab and Jezebel, Seer, Reformer Born Tishbe, Gilad Honored in Judaism
Feast July 20 Attributes Prophet
Elijah ( /ɨˈlaɪdʒə/;[1] also Elias /ɨˈlaɪ.əs/; Hebrew: אליהו, Eliyahu, meaning "Yahweh is my God";[2] Arabic:إلياس, Ilyās), was a prophet in the Kingdom of Samaria[3] during the reign of Ahab (9th century BCE), according to the Books of Kings.
According to the Books of Kings, Elijah defended the worship of Yahweh over that of the more popular Baal, he raised the dead, brought fire down from the sky, and ascended into heaven in a whirlwind (either accompanied by a chariot and horses of flame or riding in it).[4] In the Book of Malachi, Elijah's return is prophesied "before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord,"[5] making him a harbinger of the Messiah and the eschaton in various faiths that revere the Hebrew Bible. Derivative references to Elijah appear in the Talmud, Mishnah, the New Testament, and the Qur'an.
In Judaism, Elijah's name is invoked at the weekly Havdalah ritual 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.
In Christianity, the New Testament describes how both Jesus and John the Baptist are compared with Elijah, and on some occasions, thought by some to be manifestations of Elijah, and Elijah appears with Moses during the Transfiguration of Jesus.
In Islam, the Qur'an describes Elijah as a great and righteous prophet of God, and one who powerfully preached against the worship of Ba'al.
Elijah is also a figure in various folkloric traditions. In Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania, he is known as "Elijah the Thunderer" and in folklore is held responsible for summer storms, hail, rain, thunder, and dew.[6]
Biblical narratives and historical background
By the 9th century BC, the Kingdom of Israel, once united under King Solomon, was divided into the northern Kingdom of Israel and southern Kingdom of Judah, which retained the historic seat of government and focus of the Israelite religion at the Temple in Jerusalem. Omri, King of Israel, continued policies dating from the reign of Jeroboam, contrary to the laws of Moses, that were intended to reorient religious focus away from Jerusalem: encouraging the building of local temple altars for sacrifices, appointing priests from outside the family of the Levites, and allowing or encouraging temples dedicated to the Canaanite god, Baal.[7][8] Omri achieved domestic security with a marriage alliance between his son Ahab and princess Jezebel, a priestess of Baal and the daughter of the king of Sidon in Phoenicia.[9] These solutions brought security and economic prosperity to Israel for a time,[10] but did not bring peace with the Israelite prophets, who were interested in a strict deuteronomic interpretation of Mosaic law.
As King, Ahab exacerbated these tensions. Ahab allowed worship of a foreign god in the palace, building a temple for Baal and allowing Jezebel to bring a large entourage of priests and prophets of Baal and Asherah into the country. It is in this context that Elijah is introduced in 1 Kings 17:1 as Elijah "The Tishbite". He warns Ahab that there will be years of catastrophic drought so severe that not even dew will fall, because Ahab and his queen stand at the end of a line of kings of Israel who are said to have "done evil in the sight of the Lord."
1st and 2nd Kings
No background for the person of Elijah is given. His name, "Yahweh is my God," may be a title applied to him because of his challenge to Baal worship.[11][12][13][14][15]
Elijah's challenge, characteristic of his behavior in other episodes of his story as told in the Bible, is bold and direct. Baal was the Canaanite god responsible for rain, thunder, lightning, and dew. Elijah not only challenges Baal on behalf of his own God, Yahweh, he challenges Jezebel, her priests, Ahab, and the people of Israel.
Widow of Zarephath
After Elijah's confrontation with Ahab, God tells him to flee out of Israel, to a hiding place by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan, where he will be fed by ravens. When the brook dries up, God sends him to a widow living in the town of Zarephatho in Phoenicia. When Elijah finds her and asks to be fed, she says that she does not have sufficient food to keep her and her own son alive. Elijah tells her that God will not allow her supply of flour or oil to run out, saying, "Don't be afraid..this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land," illustrating that the demand of the covenant is not given without the promise of the covenant. She feeds him the last of their food, and Elijah's promise miraculously comes true; thus, by an act of faith the woman received the promised blessing. God gave her "manna" from heaven even while he was withholding food from his unfaithful people in the promised land. Some time later, the widow's son dies, and the widow cried, "Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" Moved by a faith like that of Abraham (Romans 4:17, Hebrews 11:19), Elijah prays that God might restore her son so that the veracity and trustworthiness of God's word might be demonstrated. 1 Kings 17:22 relates how God "heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." This is the first instance of raising the dead recorded in Scripture. This non-Israelite widow was granted the best covenant blessing in the person of her son, the only hope for a widow in ancient society. The widow cried, "...the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth." She made a confession that the Israelites had failed to make.
After more than three years of drought and famine, God tells Elijah to return to Ahab and announce the end of the drought: not occasioned by repentance in Israel but by the command of the Lord, who had determined to reveal himself again to his people. While on his way, Elijah meets Obadiah, the head of Ahab's household, who had hidden a hundred prophets of the God of Israel when Ahab and Jezebel had been killing them. Elijah sends Obadiah back to Ahab to announce his return to Israel.
Challenge to Baal
When Ahab confronts Elijah, he refers to him as the "troubler of Israel." Elijah responds by throwing the charge back at Ahab, saying that it is Ahab who has troubled Israel by allowing the worship of false gods. Elijah then berates both the people of Israel and Ahab for their acquiescence in Baal worship. "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). And the people were silent. The Hebrew for this word, "go limping" or "waver", is the same as that used for "danced" in verse 26, where the prophets of Baal frantically dance. Elijah speaks with sharp irony: in the religious ambivalence of Israel, she is engaging in a wild and futile religious "dance".
At this point Elijah proposes a direct test of the powers of Baal and Yahweh. The people of Israel, 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of Asherah are summoned to Mount Carmel. Two altars are built, one for Baal and one for Yahweh. Wood is laid on the altars. Two oxen are slaughtered and cut into pieces; the pieces are laid on the wood. Elijah then invites the priests of Baal to pray for fire to light the sacrifice. They pray from morning to noon without success. Elijah ridicules their efforts. They respond by cutting themselves and adding their own blood to the sacrifice (such mutilation of the body was strictly forbidden in the Mosaic law). They continue praying until evening without success.
Elijah now orders that the altar of Yahweh be drenched with water from "four large jars" poured three times (1 Kings 18:33–34). He asks God to accept the sacrifice. Fire falls from the sky, igniting the sacrifice. Elijah seizes the moment and orders the death of the prophets of Baal. Elijah prays earnestly for rain to fall again on the land. Then the rains begin, signaling the end of the famine.
Mt. Horeb
Jezebel, enraged that Elijah had ordered the deaths of her priests, threatens to kill Elijah (1 Kings 19:1–13). This was Elijah's first encounter with Jezebel, and not the last. Later Elijah would prophesy about Jezebel's death, because of her sin. Later, Elijah flees to Beersheba in Judah, continues alone into the wilderness, and finally sits down under a juniper tree, praying for death. He falls asleep under the tree; an angel touches him and tells him to wake and eat. When he wakes he finds bread and a jar of water. He eats, drinks, and goes back to sleep. The angel comes a second time and tells him to eat and drink because he has a long journey ahead of him.
Elijah travels, for forty days and forty nights, to Mount Horeb, where Moses had received the Torah. Elijah is the first and only person described in the Bible as going back to Horeb after Moses and his generation had left Horeb several centuries before. He seeks shelter in a cave. God again speaks to Elijah (1 Kings 19:9): "What doest thou here, Elijah?". Elijah did not give a direct answer to the Lord's question but evades and equivocates, implying that the work the Lord had begun centuries earlier had now come to nothing, and that his own work was fruitless. Unlike Moses, who tried to defend Israel when they sinned with the golden calf, Elijah bitterly complains over the Israelites' unfaithfulness and says he is the "only one left". Up until this time Elijah has only the word of God to guide him, but now he is told to go outside the cave and "stand before the Lord." A terrible wind passes, but God is not in the wind. A great earthquake shakes the mountain, but God is not in the earthquake. Then a fire passes the mountain, but God is not in the fire. Then a "still small voice" comes to Elijah and asks again, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" Elijah again evades the question and his lament is unrevised, showing that he did not understand the importance of the divine revelation he had just witnessed. God then sends him out again, this time to Damascus to anoint Hazael as king of Syria, Jehu as king of Israel, and Elisha as his replacement.
Vineyard of Naboth
Elijah encounters Ahab again in 1 Kings 21, after Ahab has acquired possession of a vineyard by murder. Ahab desires to have the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel. He offers a better vineyard or a fair price for the land. But Naboth tells Ahab that God has told him not to part with the land. Ahab accepts this answer with sullen bad grace. Jezebel, however, plots a method for acquiring the land. She sends letters, in Ahab's name, to the elders and nobles who lived near Naboth. They are to arrange a feast and invite Naboth. At the feast, false charges of cursing God and Ahab are to be made against him. The plot is carried out and Naboth is stoned to death. When word comes that Naboth is dead, Jezebel tells Ahab to take possession of the vineyard.
God again speaks to Elijah and sends him to confront Ahab with a question and a prophecy: "Have you killed and also taken possession?" and, "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick up your own blood" (1 Kings 21:19). Ahab begins the confrontation by calling Elijah his enemy. Elijah responds by throwing the charge back at him, telling him that he has made himself the enemy of God by his own actions. Elijah then goes beyond the prophecy he was given and tells Ahab that his entire kingdom will reject his authority; that Jezebel will be eaten by dogs within Jezreel; and that his family will be consumed by dogs as well (if they die in a city) or by birds (if they die in the country). When Ahab hears this he repents to such a degree that God relents in punishing Ahab but will punish Jezebel and their son—Ahaziah.
Elijah continues now from Ahab to an encounter with Ahaziah. The scene opens with Ahaziah seriously injured in a fall. He sends to the priests of Baalzebub in Ekron, outside the kingdom of Israel, to know if he will recover. Elijah intercepts his messengers and sends them back to Ahaziah with a message. In typical Elijah fashion, the message begins with a blunt, impertinent question: "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron?"(2 Kings 1:6). Ahaziah asks the messengers to describe the person who gave them this message. They tell him he wore a hairy coat with a leather belt and he instantly recognizes the description as Elijah the Tishbite.
Ahaziah sends out three groups of soldiers to arrest Elijah. The first two are destroyed by fire which Elijah calls down from heaven. The leader of the third group asks for mercy for himself and his men. Elijah agrees to accompany this third group to Ahaziah, where he gives his prophecy in person.
Elijah, in company with Elisha (Eliseus), approaches the Jordan. He rolls up his mantle and strikes the water (2 Kings 2:8). The water immediately divides and Elijah and Elisha cross on dry land. Suddenly, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appear and Elijah is lifted up to heaven in a whirlwind. As Elijah is lifted up, his mantle falls to the ground and Elisha picks it up.
2nd Chronicles
Elijah is mentioned once more in 2 Chronicles 21. A letter is sent under the prophet's name to Jehoram of Judah. It tells him that he has led the people of Judah astray in the same way that Israel was led astray. The prophet ends the letter with a prediction of a painful death. This letter is a puzzle to readers for several reasons. First, it concerns a king of the southern kingdom, while Elijah concerned himself with the kingdom of Israel. Second, the message begins with "Thus says YHVH, God of your father David..." rather than the more usual "...in the name of YHVH the God of Israel." Also, this letter seems to come after Elijah's ascension into the whirlwind. But this is not surprising, as the books of 1 and 2 Kings are told largely out of order, to depict one individual or event at a time. Jacob Myers suggests a number of possible reasons for this letter, among them that it may be an example of a better known prophet's name being substituted for that of a lesser known prophet.[16] John Van Seters, however, rejects the letter as having any connection with the Elijah tradition.[17] However Michael Wilcock, formally of Trinity College, Bristol, argues that Elijah's letter: 'does address a very 'northern' situation in the southern kingdom', and thus is authentic.[18]
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse."
— Malachi 4:5–6
The final mention of Elijah in the Hebrew Bible is in the Book of Malachi, where it is written, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord." That day is described as the burning of a great furnace, "... so that it will leave them neither root nor branch." (Malachi 3:19) Traditionally, in Judaism, this is taken to mean the return of Elijah will precede the Messiah. In Christianity it is traditionally believed that the ministry of John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy.
Textual analysis
According to one recent researcher,[19] the Elijah stories were added to the Deuteronomistic History in four stages. The first stage dates from the final edition of the History, about 560 BCE, when the three stories of Naboth's vineyard, the death of Ahaziah, and the story of Jehu's coup were included to embody the themes of the reliability of God's word and the cycle of Baal worship and religious reform in the history of the Northern Kingdom. The narratives about the Omride wars were added shortly afterwards to illustrate a newly introduced theme, that the attitude of the king towards the word of the prophets determines the fate of Israel. 1 Kings 17–18 was added in early post-Exilic times (after 538 BCE) to demonstrate the possibility of a new life in community with God after the time of judgment. In the fifth century BCE, 1 Kings 19:1–18 and the remaining Elisha stories were inserted to give prophecy a legitimate foundation in the history of Israel.[19]
Elijah in Christianity
References in the New Testament
In 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.
Some English translations of the New Testament use Elias, a Latin form of the name. In the King James Version, "Elias" appears only in the texts translated from Greek.
John the Baptist
John the Baptist preached a message of repentance and baptism. He predicted the day of judgment using imagery similar to that of Malachi. He also preached that the Messiah was coming. All of this was done in a style that immediately recalled the image of Elijah to his audience. He wore a coat of animal hair secured with a leather belt (Matthew 3:4, Mark 1:6). He also frequently preached in wilderness areas: near the Jordan river.
In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist was asked by a delegation of priests if he was Elijah. To which, he replied "I am not (John 1:21)." The author of Matthew 11:14 and Matthew 17:10–13 however, makes it clear that John was Elijah but was not recognized as such. In the annunciation narrative in Luke, an angel appears to Zechariah, John's father, and tells him that John "will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God," and that he will go forth "in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:16–17)."
In the Gospel of Luke, Herod Antipas hears some of the stories surrounding Jesus. Some tell Herod that John the Baptist, whom he had executed, has come back to life. Others tell him that it is Elijah.[20] Later in the same gospel, Jesus asks his disciples who the people say that he is. The apostles' answer includes Elijah among others.[21]
However, Jesus' ministry had little in common with that of Elijah; in particular, he preached the forgiveness of one's enemies, while Elijah killed his. Miracle stories similar to those of Elijah were associated with Jesus (e. g. raising of the dead,[22] miraculous feeding[23]). Jesus implicitly separates himself from Elijah when he rebukes James and John for desiring to call down fire upon an unwelcoming Samaritan village in a similar manner to Elijah.[24] Likewise, Jesus rebukes a potential follower who wanted first to return home to say farewell to his family, whereas Elijah permitted this of his replacement Elisha.[25]
During Jesus' crucifixion, some of the onlookers wonder if Elijah will come to rescue him,[26] as by the time of Jesus, Elijah had entered folklore as a rescuer of Jews in distress.
Elijah makes an appearance in the New Testament during an incident known as the Transfiguration.[27]
At the summit of an unnamed mount, Jesus' face begins to shine. The disciples who are with Him hear the voice of God announce that Jesus is "My beloved Son." The disciples also see Moses and Elijah appear and talk with Jesus. Peter is so struck by the experience that he asks Jesus if they should not build three "tabernacles": one for Elijah, one for Jesus and one for Moses.
There is consensus among Christian theologians that Elijah appears as a witness of the prophets and Moses as a witness of the law for the divinely announced "Son of God."[28][29]
Other references
Elijah is mentioned three more times in the New Testament: in Luke, Romans, and James. In Luke 4:24–27, Jesus uses Elijah as an example of rejected prophets. Jesus says, "No prophet is accepted in his own country," and then mentions Elijah, saying that there were many widows in Israel, but Elijah was sent to one in Phoenicia. In Romans 11:1–6, Paul cites Elijah as an example of God's never forsaking his people (the Israelites). In James 5:16–18, James says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much," and then cites Elijah's prayers which started and ended the famine in Israel as examples.
Prophet saint
In Western Christianity, the Prophet Elijah is commemorated as a saint with a feast day on 20 July by the Roman Catholic Church[30] and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.[31] Catholics believe that he was unmarried, celibate.[32]
In the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite, he is commemorated on the same date (in the 21st century, Julian Calendar 20 July corresponds to Gregorian Calendar 2 August). He is greatly revered among the Orthodox as a model of the contemplative life. He is also commemorated on the Orthodox liturgical calendar on the Sunday of the Holy Fathers (the Sunday before the Nativity of the Lord).
Carmelite tradition
Elijah is revered as the spiritual Father and traditional founder of the Catholic religious Order of Carmelites. In addition to taking their name from Mt. Carmel where the first hermits of the order established themselves, the Calced Carmelite and Discalced Carmelite traditions pertaining to Elijah focus upon the prophet's withdrawal from public life.[33][34] The medieval Carmelite Book of the First Monks offers some insight into the heart of the Orders' contemplative vocation and reverence for the prophet.
Liturgical commemorations
Since most Eastern Churches either use Greek as their liturgical language or translated their liturgies from the Greek, Elias (or its modern iotacized form Ilias) is the form of the prophet's name used among most members of the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite.
The feast day of saint Elias falls on July 20 of the Orthodox liturgical calendar (for those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar, July 20 currently falls on August 2 of the modern Gregorian Calendar). This day is a major holiday in Lebanon and is one of a handful of holidays there whose celebration is accompanied by a launching of fireworks by the general public. The full name of St. Elias in Lebanon translates to St. Elias the Living because it is believed that he did not die but rode his fiery chariot to Heaven. The reference to the fiery chariot is likely why the Lebanese celebrate this holiday with fireworks.
Elias is also commemorated, together with all of the righteous persons of the Old Testament, on the Sunday of the Holy Fathers (the Sunday before the Nativity of the Lord).
The Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone for St. Elias:
The incarnate Angel, the Cornerstone of the Prophets, the second Forerunner of the Coming of Christ, the glorious Elias, who from above, sent down to Elisha the grace to dispel sickness and cleanse lepers, abounds therefore in healing for those who honor him.
The Kontakion in the Second Tone for St. Elias:
O Prophet and foreseer of the great works of God, O greatly renowned Elias, who by your word held back the clouds of rain, intercede for us to the only Loving One.
Elias, pagan gods, and mountaintops
Starting in the fifth century, Elias is often connected with Helios, the Sun. The two words have very similar pronunciations in post-classical Greek; Elijah rode in his chariot of fire to heaven (2 Kings 2:11) just as Helios drove the chariot of the sun across the sky; and the holocaust sacrifice offered by Elijah and burned by fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:38) corresponds to the sun warming the earth.[35]
Sedulius writes poetically in the fifth century that the "bright path to glittering heaven" suits Elias both "in merits and name", as changing one letter makes his name "Helios"; but he does not identify the two.[36] A homily entitled De ascensione Heliae, misattributed to Chrysostom, claims that poets and painters use the ascension of Elijah as a model for their depictions of the sun, and says that "Elijah is really Helios". Saint Patrick appears to conflate Helios and Elias.[37] All of these connections illustrate the common early Christian contention, held also by the Jewish philosopher Philo, that the Greeks had learned their philosophy from reading the Old Testament; from this point of view, pseudo-Chrysostom could charge that the Greek myth of Helios was based on a distorted knowledge of the legend of Elias.[citation needed] In modern times, much Greek folklore also connects Elias with the sun.[38]
In Greece, chapels and monasteries dedicated to Prophet Elias (Προφήτης Ηλίας) are often found on mountaintops, which themselves are often named after him. Since Wachsmuth (1864),[39] the usual explanation for this has been that Elias was identified with Helios, who had mountaintop shrines. But few shrines of Helios were on mountaintops, and sun-worship was subsumed by Apollo-worship by Christian times, and so could not be confused with Elias.[40] The modern folklore is not good evidence for the origin of the association of the sun, Elias, and mountaintops.[41] Perhaps Elias is simply a "natural patron of high places".[42]
The association of Elias with mountaintops seems to come from a different pagan tradition: Elias took on the attributes and the locales associated with Zeus, especially his associations with mountains and his powers over rain, thunder, lighting, and wind. When Elias prevailed over the priests of Baal, it was on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:38), which later became known as Mount St. Elias. When he spend forty days in a cave, it was on Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8). When Elias confronts Ahab, he stops the rains for three years (1 Kings 17:1–18:1).[41]
A map of mountain-cults of Zeus shows that most of these sites are now dedicated to Elias, including Mount Olympus, Mount Lykaion, Mount Arachnaion, and Mount Taleton on the mainland, and Mount Kenaion, Mount Oche, and Mount Kynados in the islands. Of these, the only one with a recorded tradition of a Helios cult is Mount Taleton.[41]
Elias has other pagan associations: a modern legend about Elias mirrors precisely the legend of Odysseus seeking a place where the locals would not recognize an oar—hence the mountaintops.[43]
Elijah and Elias in Mormonism
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) acknowledges Elijah as a prophet. The LDS Church teaches that the Malachi prophecy of the return of Elijah was fulfilled on April 3, 1836 when Elijah visited the prophet and founder of the church, Joseph Smith, Jr., along with Oliver Cowdery, in the Kirtland Temple as a resurrected being.[44] This event is chronicled in Doctrine and Covenants 110:13-16. This experience forms the basis for the church's focus on genealogy and family history and belief in the eternal nature of marriage and families.
In Latter-day Saint theology, the name-title Elias is not always synonymous with Elijah and is often used for people other than the biblical prophet. According to Joseph Smith,
The spirit of Elias is first, Elijah second, and Messiah last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, and the spirit and power of Elijah is to come after, holding the keys of power, building the Temple to the capstone, placing the seals of the Melchizedek Priesthood upon the house of Israel, and making all things ready; then Messiah comes to His Temple, which is last of all.[45]
People to whom the title Elias is applied in Mormonism include Noah, the angel Gabriel (considered to be the same person as Noah), Elijah, John the Baptist, John the Apostle, and an unspecified man who was a contemporary of Abraham.[46]
Detractors of Mormonism have often alleged that Smith, in whose time and place the King James Version was the only available English translation of the bible, simply failed to grasp the fact that the Elijah of the Old Testament and the Elias of the New are one and the same person.[citation needed] Latter-day Saints deny this and say that the difference they make between the two is deliberate and prophetic.[citation needed]
Elijah in Islam
Elijah (Arabic:إلياس; Ilyas) is also mentioned as a prophet in the Qur'an.[47] Elijah's narrative in the Qur'an and later Muslim tradition resembles closely that in the Hebrew Bible and Muslim literature records Elijah's primary prophesying as taking place during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel as well as Ahaziah.[48] He is seen by Muslims to be the prophetic predecessor to Elisha. While neither the Bible nor the Qur'an mentions the genealogy of Elijah, some scholars of Islam believe he may have come from the priestly family of the prophet Aaron.[49] Elijah in Muslim theology is very rarely associated with the events of the eschaton, as he is in Jewish tradition, and Islam generally views Jesus as the Messiah.[50] Elijah's figure has, however, been identified with a number of other prophets and saints, including Idris, which is believed by some scholars to have been another name for Elijah,[51] and Khidr.[52] Islamic legend later developed the figure of Elijah, greatly embellishing upon his attributes, and some apocryphal literature gave Elijah the status of a half-human, half-angel.[53] Elijah also appears in later works of literature, including the Hamzanama.[54]
Elijah is mentioned in the Qur'an, where his preaching is recounted in a concise manner. The Qur'an narrates that Elijah told his people to come to the worship of the Lord and to leave the worship of Baal, the primary idol of the area. The Qur'an states:Verily Elijah was one of the apostles. When he said to his people: "Will you not fear God? "Will ye call upon Ba'al and leave the Best of Creators, God, your Lord and Cherisher and the Lord and Cherisher of your fathers of old?"—Qur'an, chapter 37 (As-Saaffat), verse 123–126[55]
The Qur'an makes it clear that the majority of Elijah's people denied the prophet and continued to follow idolatry. However, it mentions that a small number of devoted servants of God among them followed Elijah and believed in and worshiped the Lord. The Qur'an states:They denied him (Elijah), and will surely be brought to punishment, Except the sincere and devoted Servants of God (among them). And We left his (memory) for posterity.—Qur'an, chapter 37 (As-Saaffat), verse 127–128[56]
In the Qur'an, God praises Elijah in two places:
Peace be upon Elijah! This is how We reward those who do good. He is truly among our believing servants.—Qur'an, chapter 37 (As-Saaffat), verse 129–132[57]
And Zachariah and John and Jesus and Elijah, they were all from among the righteous
Numerous commentators, including Abdullah Yusuf Ali, have offered commentary on VI: 85[59] saying that Elijah, Zechariah, John the Baptist and Jesus were all spiritually connected. Abdullah Yusuf Ali says:
The third group consists not of men of action, but Preachers of Truth, who led solitary lives. Their epithet is: "the Righteous." They form a connected group round Jesus. Zachariah was the father of John the Baptist, who is referenced as "Elias, which was for to come" (Matt 11:14); and Elias is said to have been present and talked to Jesus at the Transfiguration on the Mount (Matt. 17:3).
Literature and tradition
Muslim literature and tradition recounts that Elijah preached to the Kingdom of Israel, ruled over by Ahab and later his son Ahaziah. He is believed to have been a "prophet of the desert—like John the Baptist".[60] Elijah is believed to have preached with zeal to Ahab and his wife Jezebel, who according to Muslim tradition was partly responsible for the worship of false idols in this area. Muslims believe that it was because the majority of people refused to listen to Elijah that Elisha had to continue preaching the message of God to Israel after him.[61]
Elijah has been the subject of legends and folktales in Muslim culture, usually involving his meeting with Khidr, and in one legend, with Muhammad himself.[62] Most such legends, however, are regarded as folktales rather than actual events. In Islamic mysticism, however, Elijah is associated closely with the sage Khidr. One legend reported that Elijah and Khidr met together every year in Jerusalem to go on the pilgrimage to Mecca.[63] Elijah appears also in the Hamzanama numerous times, where he is spoken of as being the brother of Khidr as well as one who drunk from the Fountain of Youth.[64]
Although most Muslim scholars believed that Elijah preached in Israel, some early commentators on the Qur'an stated that Elijah was sent to Baalbek, in Lebanon.[65] Modern scholars have rejected this claim, stating that the connection of the city with Elijah would have been made because of the first half of the city's name, that of Baal, which was the deity that Elijah exhorted his people to stop worshiping. Scholars who reject identification of Elijah's town with Baalbek further argue that the town of Baalbek is not mentioned with the narrative of Elijah in either the Qur'an or the Hebrew Bible.[66]
In the Aggadah and Talmud
Jewish legends about Elijah abound in the aggadah, which is found throughout various collections of rabbinic literature, including the Babylonian Talmud. This varied literature does not merely discuss his life, but has created a new history of him, which, beginning with his death—or "translation"—ends only with the close of the history of the human race. The volume of references to Elijah in Jewish Tradition stands in marked contrast to that in the Canon. As in the case of most figures of Jewish legend, so in the case of Elijah, the Biblical account became the basis of later legend. Elijah the precursor of the Messiah, Elijah zealous in the cause of God, Elijah the helper in distress: these are the three leading notes struck by the Aggadah, endeavoring to complete the Biblical picture with the Elijah legends. His career is extensive, colorful, and varied. He has appeared the world over in the guise of a beggar and scholar.
From the time of Malachi, who says of Elijah that God will send him before "the great and dreadful day" (Mal. 3:23), down to the later stories of the Chasidic rabbis, reverence and love, expectation and hope, were always connected in the Jewish consciousness with Elijah.
Since, according to the Bible, Elijah lived a mysterious life, the Aggadah naturally did not fail to supply the Biblical gaps in its own way. In the first place, it was its aim to describe more precisely Elijah's origin, since the Biblical (I Kings xvii. 1) "Elijah, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead," was too vague
Three different theories regarding Elijah's origin are presented in the Aggadah literature: (1) he belonged to the tribe of Gad (Midrash Genensis Rabbah lxxi.) (2) he was a Benjamite from Jerusalem, identical with the Elijah mentioned in I Chron. viii:27 (3) he was a priest.
That Elijah was a priest is a statement which is made by many Church fathers also (Aphraates, "Homilies," ed. Wright, p. 314; Epiphanius, "Hæres." lv. 3, passim), and which was afterward generally accepted. In some later works some rabbis speculate that he is to be identified with Phinehas (Pirḳe R. El. xlvii.; Targ. Yer. on Num. xxv. 12)
Mention must also be made of a statement which, though found only in the later Kabbalistic literature (Yalḳuṭ Reubeni, Bereshit, 9a, ed. Amsterdam), seems nevertheless to be very old (see Epiphanius, l.c.). According to this legend Elijah was really an angel in human form, so that he had neither parents nor offspring. See Melchizedek.
Elijah's Zeal for God
In spite of Elijah's many miracles, the mass of the Jewish people remained as godless as before. A midrash tells that they even abolished the sign of the covenant, and the prophet had to appear as Israel's accuser before God (Pirḳe R. El. xxix.).
In the same cave where God once appeared to Moses and revealed Himself as gracious and merciful, Elijah was summoned to appear before God. By this summons he perceived that he should have appealed to God's mercy, instead of becoming Israel's accuser. The prophet, however, remained relentless in his zeal and severity, so that God commanded him to appoint his successor (Tanna debe Eliyahu Zuṭa viii.).
The vision in which God revealed Himself to Elijah gave him at the same time a picture of the destinies of man, who has to pass through "four worlds." This world was shown to the prophet in the form of the wind, since it disappears as the wind; storm () is the day of death, before which man trembles (); fire is the judgment in Gehenna, and the stillness is the last day (Tan., Peḳude, p. 128, Vienna ed.).
Three years after this vision (Seder 'Olam R. xvii.) Elijah was "translated." Concerning the place to which Elijah was transferred, opinions differ among Jews and Christians, but the old view was that Elijah was received among the heavenly inhabitants, where he records the deeds of men (Ḳid. 70; Ber. R. xxxiv. 8), a task which according to the apocalyptic literature is entrusted to Enoch.
But as early as the middle of the 2nd century, when the notion of translation to heaven was very much changed by Christian theologians, the assertion was made that Elijah never entered into heaven proper (Suk. 5a). In later literature paradise is generally designated as the abode of Elijah (compare Pirḳe R. El. xvi.), but since the location of paradise is itself uncertain, the last two statements may be identical.
Elijah in Jewish observance
Elijah's chairSee also: Brit milah
At Jewish circumcision ceremonies, a chair is set aside for the use of the prophet Elijah. Elijah is said to be a witness at all circumcisions when the sign of the covenant is placed upon the body of the child. This custom stems from the incident at Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19): Elijah had arrived at Mount Horeb after the demonstration of Jehovah's presence and power on Mount Carmel. (1 Kings 18) God asks Elijah to explain his arrival, and Elijah replies: "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away" (1 Kings 19:10). According to Rabbinic tradition, Elijah's words were patently untrue (1 Kings 18:4 and 1 Kings 19:18), and since Elijah accused Israel of failing to uphold the covenant, God would require Elijah to be present at every covenant of circumcision.[67][68]
Elijah's cupSee also: Passover Seder
In the Talmudic literature, Elijah would visit rabbis to help solve particularly difficult legal problems. Malachi had cited Elijah as the harbinger of the eschaton. Thus, when confronted with reconciling impossibly conflicting laws or rituals, the rabbis would set aside any decision "until Elijah comes."[69]
One such decision was whether the Passover seder required four or five cups of wine. Each serving of wine corresponds to one of the "four expressions of redemption" in the Book of Exodus:
"I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an out-stretched arm and with great acts of judgment, and I will take you for my people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians" (Exodus 6:6–7).
The next verse, "And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord." (Exodus 6:8) was not fulfilled until the generation following the Passover story, and the rabbis could not decide whether this verse counted as part of the Passover celebration (thus deserving of another serving of wine). Thus, a cup was left for the arrival of Elijah.
In practice, the fifth cup has come to be seen as a celebration of future redemption. Today, a place is reserved at the seder table and a cup of wine is placed there for Elijah. During the seder, the door of the house is opened and Elijah is invited in. Traditionally, the cup is viewed as Elijah's and is used for no other purpose.[70][71]
HavdalahSee also: Havdalah
Havdalah is the ceremony that concludes the Sabbath Day (Saturday evening in Jewish tradition). As part of the concluding hymn, an appeal is made to God that Elijah will come during the following week. "Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Tishbite. Let him come quickly, in our day with the messiah, the son of David."[70]
Elijah in folklore
The volume of references to Elijah in folklore stands in marked contrast to that in the canon.
"At the appointed time, it is written, you are destined
to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury,
to turn the hearts of parents to their children,
and to restore the tribes of Jacob."
— A line in the Apocrypha describing Elijah's mission (Sirach 48:10).
In the Wisdom of Jesus ben Sira (Sirach 48:10) his tasks are altered to: 1) herald the eschaton, 2) calm God's fury, 3) restore familial peace, and 4) restore the 12 tribes.
Elijah's miraculous transferral to heaven lead to speculation as to his true identity. Louis Ginzberg equates him with Phinehas the grandson of Aaron[72] (Exodus 6:25). Because of Phinehas zealousness for God, he and his descendants were promised, "a covenant of lasting priesthood" (Numbers 25:13). Therefore, Elijah is a priest as well as a prophet. Elijah is also equated with the Archangel Sandalphon,[73] whose four wing beats will carry him to any part of the earth. When forced to choose between death and dishonor, Rabbi Kahana chose to leap to his death. Before he could strike the ground, Elijah/Sandalphon had appeared to catch him.[74] Yet another name for Elijah is "Angel of the Covenant"[75]
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi
References to Elijah in Jewish folklore range from short observations (e. g. It is said that when dogs are happy for no reason, it is because Elijah is in the neighborhood[76]) to lengthy parables on the nature of God's justice.
One such story is that of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi. The rabbi, a friend of Elijah's, was asked what favor he might wish. The rabbi answered only that he be able to join Elijah in his wanderings. Elijah granted his wish only if he refrained from asking any questions about any of the prophet's actions. He agreed and they began their journey. The first place they came to was the house of an elderly couple who were so poor they had only one old cow. The old couple gave of their hospitality as best they could. The next morning, as the travelers left, Elijah prayed that the old cow would die and it did. The second place they came to was the home of a wealthy man. He had no patience for his visitors and chased them away with the admonition that they should get jobs and not beg from honest people. As they were leaving, they passed the man's wall and saw that it was crumbling. Elijah prayed that the wall be repaired and it was so. Next, they came to a wealthy synagogue. They were allowed to spend the night with only the smallest of provisions. When they left, Elijah prayed that every member of the synagogue might become a leader.
Finally, they came to a very poor synagogue. Here they were treated with great courtesy and hospitality. When they left, Elijah prayed that God might give them a single wise leader. At this Rabbi Joshua could no longer hold back. He demanded of Elijah an explanation of his actions. At the house of the old couple, Elijah knew that the Angel of Death was coming for the old woman. So he prayed that God might have the angel take the cow instead. At the house of the wealthy man, there was a great treasure hidden in the crumbling wall. Elijah prayed that the wall be restored thus keeping the treasure away from the miser. The story ends with a moral: A synagogue with many leaders will be ruined by many arguments. A town with a single wise leader will be guided to success and prosperity. "Know then, that if thou seest an evil-doer prosper, it is not always unto his advantage, and if a righteous man suffers need and distress, think not God is unjust."[77]
Rabbi Eliezer
The Elijah of legend did not lose any of his ability to afflict the comfortable. The case of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Simon ben Yohai is illustrative. Once, when walking a beach, he came upon a hideously ugly man—the prophet in disguise. The man greeted him courteously, "Peace be with thee, Rabbi." Instead of returning the greeting, the rabbi could not resist an insult, "How ugly you are! Is there anyone as ugly as you in your town?" Elijah responded with, "I don't know. Perhaps you should tell the Master Architect how ugly is this, His construction." The rabbi realized his wrong and asked for pardon. But Elijah would not give it until the entire city had asked for forgiveness for the rabbi and the rabbi had promised to mend his ways.[78]
Elijah was always seen as deeply pious, it seems only natural that he would be pitted against an equally evil individual. This was found in the person of Lilith. Lilith in legend was the first wife of Adam. She rebelled against Adam, the angels, and even God. She came to be seen as a demon and a witch.[79][80]
Elijah encountered Lilith and instantly recognized and challenged her, "Unclean one, where are you going?" Unable to avoid or lie to the prophet, she admitted she was on her way to the house of a pregnant woman. Her intention was to kill the woman and eat the child.
Elijah pronounced his malediction, "I curse you in the Name of the Lord. Be silent as a stone!" But, Lilith was able to make a bargain with Elijah. She promises to "forsake my evil ways" if Elijah will remove his curse. To seal the bargain she gives Elijah her names so that they can be posted in the houses of pregnant women or new born children or used as amulets. Lilith promises, "where I see those names, I shall run away at once. Neither the child nor the mother will ever be injured by me."[81]
Elijah in other faiths
In Bahá'í
In the Bahá'í Faith, the Báb, founder of The Bábí Faith, is believed to be the return of Elijah and John the Baptist.[82] Both Elijah and John the Baptist are considered to be Lesser Prophets, whose stations are below that of a Manifestation of God such as Jesus Christ, Buddha, Muhammad, the Báb or Bahá'u'lláh. The Báb is buried on Mount Carmel, where Elijah had his confrontation with the prophets of Baal.[83]
In Eastern European
As Elijah was described as ascending into heaven in a fiery chariot, the Christian missionaries who converted Slavic tribes likely found him an ideal analogy for Perun, the supreme Slavic god of storms, thunder and lightning bolts. In many Slavic countries Elijah is known as Elijah the Thunderer (Ilija Gromovnik), who drives the heavens in a chariot and administers rain and snow, thus actually taking the place of Perun in popular beliefs.[84][85]
In one Eastern-European folklore tale, Elijah is portrayed in his "Thunderer" persona:
Once Jesus, the prophet Elijah, and St. George were going through Georgia. When they became tired and hungry they stopped to dine. They saw a Georgian shepherd and decided to ask him to feed them. First, Elijah went up to the shepherd and asked him for a sheep. After the shepherd asked his identity Elijah said that, he was the one who sent him rain to get him a good profit from farming. The shepherd became angry at him and told him that he was the one who also sent thunderstorms, which destroyed the farms of poor widows. (After Elijah, Jesus and St. George attempt to get help and eventually succeed).[86]
In Greece, churches dedicated to the Prophet Elijah are often built on mountain tops, where they often succeed shrines dedicated to Zeus. See Elias for further discussion.
Holy Piby
In the Holy Piby, God enters into a dead man and becomes alive, then calls himself Elijah.[87]
Miracle of the ravens
That ravens fed Elijah by the brook Cherith has been questioned. The Hebrew text at 1 Kings 17:4–6 uses the word עֹרְבִים `ōrvīm, which means ravens, but with a different vocalization might equally mean Arabs. The Septuagint has κορακες, ravens, and other traditional translations followed. When, centuries later, vowel points were added to the Hebrew text, they also were those for the ravens interpretation.
Alternatives have been proposed for many years; for example Adam Clarke treats it as a discussion already of long standing.[88] Objections to the traditional translation are that ravens are ritually unclean (see Leviticus 11:13–17) as well as physically dirty; it is difficult to imagine any method of delivery of the food which is not disgusting. The parallelism with the incident that follows, where Elijah is fed by the widow, also suggests a human, if mildly improbable, agent.
Prof. John Gray chooses Arabs, saying "We adopt this reading solely because of its congruity with the sequel, where Elijah is fed by an alien Phoenician woman."[89] His translation of the verses in question is:
And the word of Jehovah came to Elijah saying, Go hence and turn eastward and hide thyself in the Wadi Kerith east of the Jordan, and it shall be that thou shalt drink of the wadi, and I have commanded the Arabs to feed thee there. And he went and did according to the word of Jehovah and went and dwelt in the Wadi Kerith east of the Jordan. And the Arabs brought him bread in the morning and flesh in the evening and he would drink of the wadi.
Ascension into the heavens
In some Christian interpretations, the Gospel of John quotes Jesus as saying that none have gone to heaven other than the Son of Man (Jesus Himself) (John 3:13). Accordingly, some Christians believe that Elijah was not assumed into heaven but simply transferred to another assignment either in Heaven[90] or with King Jehoram of Judah.[90] Indeed, the prophets reacted in such a way that makes sense if he was carried away, and not simply straight up (2Kings 2:16).
The question of whether Elijah was in heaven or elsewhere on earth depends partly on the view of the letter Jehoram received from Elijah in 2 Chron 21 after Elijah had ascended. Some have suggested that the letter was written before Elijah ascended, but only delivered later.[91] The rabbinical Seder Olam explains that the letter was delivered seven years after his assumption.[92] This is also a possible explanation for some variation in manuscripts of Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews when dealing with the contradiction between the assumption and the letter to Jehoram.[93] Others have argued that Elijah was only "caught away" such as Philip in Acts 8:39[94] John Lightfoot reasoned that it must have been a different Elijah.[95]
Centuries after his departure, the Jewish nation awaits the coming of Elijah to precede the coming of the Messiah. For many Christians, this belief is referenced in Matthew's gospel, where Jesus Christ is interpreted as teaching that the Elijah who was to come was John the Baptist (Matthew 17:9–13). Further argument for John the Baptist as Elijah hinges on two critical scriptures in Matthew 11:10, 14. Verse 10 is said to correlate with Malachi 3:1 and verse 14 to correlate with Malachi 4:5–6, although in John 1:19–21 John the Baptist denies that he is the prophet.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that Elijah returned on April 3, 1836 in an appearance to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, fulfilling the prophecy in Malachi.
The Bahá'í Faith believes Elijah returned as the Biblical Prophet John the Baptist and as the Báb who founded the Bábí Faith in 1844.[96][97]
Elijah in arts and literature
- Perhaps the best-known representation of the story of Elijah is Felix Mendelssohn's oratorio "Elijah". The oratorio chronicles many episodes of Elijah's life, including his challenge to Ahab and the contest of the gods, the miracle of raising the dead, and his ascension into heaven. Composed and premiered in 1846, the oratorio was criticized by members of the New German School but nonetheless remains one of the most popular Romantic choral-orchestral works in the repertoire.
- In Orlando Furioso, the English knight Astolfo flies up to the moon in Elijah's flaming chariot.
- In Melville's Moby-Dick, Elijah appears as a vagrant to admonish Ishmael and Queequeg about sailing with Ahab; he prophesizes that all shall perish (on the Pequod) but one.
- Elijah Rock is a traditional Christian spiritual about Elijah, also sometimes used by Jewish youth groups.
- "Go Like Elijah" is a song by the American rock-pop-jazz songwriter Chi Coltrane.
- Lorenzetto created a statue of Elijah with assistance of the young sculptor Raffaello da Montelupo, using designs by Raphael.[98]
- The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho is based on the story of Elijah
- Christian metal band Disciple released the song "God of Elijah" on their 2001 album By God. The theme of the song is the challenge Elijah placed against Ahab between Baal and the God of Israel.
- The roots-fusion band Seatrain records, on the albums of the same name (1970), bandmember Peter Rowans song Waiting for Elijah, alluding to Elijahs second coming, see Old Testament references above.
- From 1974 to 1976 Philip K. Dick believed himself to be possessed by the spirit of Elijah.[99][100] He later included Elijah (as Elias Tate) in his novel The Divine Invasion.
- On Ryan Adams' 2005 album 29 (album) the song "Voices" speaks of Elijah, alluding to Elijah being the prophet of destruction.
- In 1996, Robin Mark created a praise song entitled Days of Elijah.
- Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic novel The Road (2006) features an old man who ambiguously refers to himself as Ely.
- The popular movie Chariots of Fire alludes to the William Blake poem And did those feet in ancient time, which in turn alludes to the Elijah story.
- Elijah was played by John Hoyt in the 1953 film Sins of Jezebel.
See also
- Biblical narratives and the Qur'an
- Carmelites
- Elias
- Elisha
- Legends and the Qur'an
- Prophets of Islam
- Stories of The Prophets
- St. Elijah's Church (disambiguation), for churches dedicated to Elijah
- Theophoric name
- ^ Wells, John C. (1990). Longman pronunciation dictionary. Harlow, England: Longman. p. 239. ISBN 0582053838. ) entry "Elijah"
- ^ New Bible Dictionary. 1982 (second edition). Tyndale Press, Wheaton, IL, USA. ISBN 0-8423-4667-8, p. 319
- ^ Kingdom of Samaria
- ^ 2 Kings 2:11
- ^ Malachi 3:23
- ^ http://www.bnr.bg/RadioBulgaria/Emission_English/Theme_Folklore/Material/st_elijah_folk.htm
- ^ Kaufman, Yehezkel. "The Biblical Age." In Schwarz, Leo W. ed. Great Ages and Ideas of the Jewish People. Modern Library: New York. 1956. p. 53–56.
- ^ Raven, John H. The History of the Religion of Israel. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1979. p. 281–281.
- ^ Psalm 45, sometimes viewed as a wedding song for Ahab and Jezebel, may allude to this union and its problems: "Hear, O daughter, consider, and incline your ear; forget your people and your father's house; and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him; the people of Tyre will sue your favor with gifts."Psalms 45:10–12) See: Smith, Norman H. "I Kings." in Buttrick, George A., et al. Eds. The Interpreter's Bible: Volume 3. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1982. p 144.
- ^ Miller, J. M. and J. H. Hayes. A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006.
- ^ New Bible Dictionary. 1982 (second edition). Tyndale Press, Wheaton, IL, USA. ISBN 0-8423-4667-8, p.323
- ^ G. Hirsch, Emil; Eduard König, Solomon Schechter, Louis Ginzberg, M. Seligsohn, Kaufmann Kohler (2002). "Jewish Encyclopedia.com: Elijah". Jewish Encyclopedia.com. The Kopelman Foundation. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=245&letter=E&search=Elijah. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
- ^ "Elijah." Encyclopedia Judaica. Jerusalam: Keter Publishing House, 1971. p 633.
- ^ Cogan, Mordechai. The Anchor Bible: I Kings. New York: Doubleday, 2001. p 425.
- ^ In Werblowsky, R.J.Z., and Geoffrey Wigoder, eds. Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-19-508605-8
- ^ Myers, J. M. The Anchor Bible: II Chronicles. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company, 1965. pp.121–123.
- ^ VanSeters, John. "Elijah." In Jones, Lindsay. Editor in Chief. Encyclopedia of Religion. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2005. p 2764.
- ^ IVP New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition, p 410.
- ^ a b Susanne Otto, "The Composition of the Elijah-Elisha Stories and the Deuteronomistic History", Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Vol. 27, No. 4, 487–508 (2003), abstract
- ^ Luke 9:7–9 also Mark 6:14–16
- ^ Luke 9:18–19, also Matthew 16:13–16
- ^ Mark 5:21–43, Luke 7:11–15, Luke 8:49–56, John 11
- ^ Matthew 14:13–21, Mark 6:34–45, Luke 9:10–17, John 6:5–16; also Matthew 15:29–38 and Mark 8:1–9
- ^ Luke 9:51–56
- ^ Luke 9:61–62, Kings&verse=19:16–21&src=NAB 1 Kings 19:16–21
- ^ Matthew 27:46–49, Mark 15:35–36
- ^ Matthew 17:1–13, Mark 9:2–13 and Luke 9:28–36
- ^ Albright, W. F. and C. S. Mann. The Anchor Bible: Matthew. New York: Doubleday, 1971.
- ^ Fitzmyer, Joseph A. The Anchor Bible: Luke I–IX. New York: Doubleday, 1981.
- ^ Martyrologium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2001 ISBN 88-209-7210-7)
- ^ Calendar of Saints (Lutheran)
- ^ "Why are Priests Celibate?". Holy Spirit Interactive. 2010-08-19. http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/questions/whycelibacy.asp.
- ^ Ackerman, Jane. "Stories of Elijah and medieval Carmelite identity." History of Religions. 35(2). 1995. 124–147.
- ^ Ackerman, Jane. Elijah Prophet of Carmel. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Carmelite Studies Publications, 2003.
- ^ J. Theodore Bent, "The Sun Myths of Modern Hellas", The Antiquary 20 (1889), p. 10
- ^ Patrick McBrine, translator, Sedulius' Carmen paschale, lines 184–187 PDF
- ^ K. Sarah-Jane Murray, From Plato to Lancelot: a preface to Chrétien de Troyes, Syracuse 2008, p. 148 Google Books
- ^ Mary Hamilton, "The Pagan Element in the Names of Saints", Annual of the British School at Athens 13:348–356 (1907) Google Books
- ^ C. Wachsmuth, Das alte Griechenland im neuen, 1864, p. 23, cited by Hippolyte Delehaye, The Legends of the Saints: An Introduction to Hagiography, 1907, p. 174
- ^ Delehaye, p. 174
- ^ a b c Arthur Bernard Cook, Zeus: A Study in Ancient Religion, 1925, p. 178 Google Books
- ^ F. Lenormant, Monographie de la voie sacrée Éleusinienne, 1864, p. 452 as quoted by Delehaye, p. 174
- ^ Arthur Bernard Cook, Zeus: A Study in Ancient Religion, p. 171
- ^ Petersen, Mark E. (August 1981), "The Mission of Elijah", Ensign, http://lds.org/ensign/1981/08/the-mission-of-elijah?lang=eng
- ^ Smith, Joseph, Jr. (1976) [1938]. Smith, Joseph Fielding. ed. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. ISBN 0-87579-243-X. OCLC 22984603. page 340
- ^ Elias, "Bible Dictionary", KJV (LDS) (LDS Church), http://lds.org/scriptures/bd/elias?lang=eng
- ^ Qur'an 6: 84
- ^ Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary, Note. 4112: "Elias is the same as Elijah, whose story will be found in the Old Testament in I Kings 17–19. and 2 Kings 1–2. Elijah lived in the reign of Ahab (B.C. 896–874) and Ahaziah (B.C. 874–872), kings of the (northern) kingdom of Israel or Samaria. He was a prophet of the desert, like John the Baptist, unlike our holy Prophet, who took part in, controlled, and guided all the affairs of his people. Both Ahab and Azariah were prone to lapse into the worship of Baal, the sun-god worshipped in Syria. That worship also included the worship of nature-powers and procreative powers, as in the Hindu worship of the Lingam, and led to many abuses. King Ahab had married a princess of Sidon, Jezebel, a wicked woman who led her husband to forsake Allah and adopt Baal-worship."Elijah denounced all Ahab's sins as well as the sins of Ahaziah and had to flee for his life. Eventually, according to the Old Testament (4 Kings, 2:11) he was taken up in a whirlwind to heaven in a chariot of fire after he had left his mantle with Elisha the prophet."
- ^ Stories of the Prophets, Ibn Kathir, page 474
- ^ Concise Enyclopedia of Islam, C. Glasse, Elijah
- ^ Message of the Qur'an, M. Asad, Commentary on 19: 56–57
- ^ Dimensions of Islam, F. Schuon, index. Sayyidna Khizr
- ^ Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. III, H-Iram
- ^ Adventures of Amir Hamza, J. Seyller, pg. 240
- ^ Quran 37:123–126
- ^ Quran 37:127–128
- ^ Quran 37:129–132
- ^ Quran 6:85
- ^ Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary, Note. 905"
- ^ Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation, Commentary, Note on Elijah
- ^ Stories of the Prophets, Ibn Kathir, Stories of Elias and Elisha
- ^ Historical Dictionary of Prophets in Islam and Judaism, B. M. Wheeler, Elijah: "Muslim exegetes report that the prophet Muhammad and a band of followers once met Elijah on a journey outside Mecca. Elijah served the prophet with food from Heaven and then left on a cloud heading for the Heavens"
- ^ Historical Dictionary of Prophets in Islam and Judaism, B. M. Wheeler, Elijah: "It is reported by Ibn Kathir that every year during the month of Ramadan in Jerusalem, the prophets Elijah and Khidr meet..."
- ^ The Adventures of Amir Hamza, trans. M. A. Farooqi, cf. List of Characters: Ilyas or Prophet Elias
- ^ Stories of the Prophets, Ibn Kathir, Story of Elias and Elisha
- ^ Historical Dictionary of Prophets in Islam, B. M. Wheeler, Baalbek
- ^ "Elijah, Chair of." Encyclopedia Judaica. Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, 1971.
- ^ Unterman, Alan. "Elijah's Chair." Dictionary of Jewish Lore and Legend. London: Thames and Hudson, 1991.
- ^ "Elijah, Cup of." Encyclopedia Judaica. Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, 1971.
- ^ a b Telushkin, Joseph. Jewish Literacy. New York: William Morrow, 2001.
- ^ "Rabbi Ario S. and Tess Hyams Judaica Museum". Temple Beth Sholom. 2007. http://www.bethsholom.com/about_us/museum.shtml. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
- ^ Ginzberg, Lewis. Legends of the Bible. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1956. p 580.
- ^ Ginzberg, Lewis. Legends of the Bible. Jewish Philadelphia: Publication Society of America, 1956. p 589
- ^ Ginzberg, Lewis. Legends of the Bible. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1956. p 590–591.
- ^ Schwartz, Howard. Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. p 201.
- ^ Bialik, H. N. and Y. H Ravnitzky. eds. The Book of Legends: Sefer Ha-Aggadah. New York: Schocken Books, 1992. p 756, 782, and 805.
- ^ Ginzberg, Lewis. Legends of the Bible. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1956. p 599.
- ^ Ginzberg, Lewis. Legends of the Bible. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1956. p 597.
- ^ Schwartz, Howard. Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
- ^ Ginzberg, Lewis. Legends of the Bible. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1956.
- ^ Schwartz, Howard. Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. p 224–225.
- ^ Shoghi, Effendi (1944). God Passes By. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. p. 58. ISBN 0877430209. http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/GPB/gpb-5.html#pg58.
- ^ Esslemont, John. Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. p. 18. ISBN 0877431604. http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/je/BNE/bne-21.html.
- ^ Lenhoff, Gail. "Christian and Pagan Strata in the East Slavic Cult of St. Nicholas: Polemical Notes on Boris Uspenskij's FilologiÄeskie Razyskanija v Oblasti Slavjanskix Drevnostej." The Slavic and East European Journal. (July 1984) 28.2 pgs. 147–163.
- ^ McLeish, Kenneth. Myth: Myths and Legends of the World Explored. London: Facts on File, 1996. p 506.
- ^ Gabidzashvili, Enriko. 1991. Saint George: In Ancient Georgian Literature. Armazi - 89: Tbilisi, Georgia.
- ^ The Holy Piby
- ^ Clarke, Adam. The Holy Bible ... with a Commentary and Critical Notes, Volume II, London 1836
- ^ Gray, John. Old Testament Library, I & II Kings, SCM Press, London, 1964
- ^ a b biblical studies: The Fate of Enoch and Elijah<!–– Bot generated title ––>
- ^ Bromiley International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: E-J p. 55
- ^ Aryeh Kaplan The handbook of Jewish thought, Volume 1 1992 Page 116 "This was seven years after Elijah's death; Seder Olam Rabbah 17.25"
- ^ Begg C. Josephus' story of the later monarchy: (AJ 9,1–10,185) Section "Elijah's Letter" p119
- ^ Ron Abel Wrested Scriptures "There is evidence that Elijah was back on earth after he was taken away in the whirlwind. It can be shown that a letter was received by Jehoram, King of Judah, from Elijah, after Elijah was taken to heaven. Either the letter was written before he went to heaven and delivered by a messenger on earth (unlikely), or Elijah was "caught away" as was Philip from the Gaza Road to Azotas, (about 17 miles, Acts 8:39,40) for an unspecified purpose and returned to the earth. Consider the evidence: 1. Elijah had been taken to heaven in a whirlwind. (2 Kings 2:11). 2. Elisha had taken over the duties of Elijah in the reign of Jehoshaphat. (2 Kings 3:10,11)., 3. Jehoram received a letter from Elijah, the prophet. (2 Chron. 21:1, 9–12). King Jehoram reigned after Jehoshaphat. (2 Chron. 21:1)".
- ^ Barrett Richard A.F. A synopsis of criticisms upon those passages, Volume 3, Part 1 p234 1847 "But our Dr. Lightfoot is of opinion, that it is not meant of that Elijah, who was carried up to heaven, but of another of his name, who sent this letter"
- ^ Bahá'í Reference Library—God Passes By, Pages 49–60
- ^ Bahá'í Reference Library—Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Pages 15–16
- ^ Link to on-line biography of Lorenzetto from Vasari's Vite
- ^ Rickman, Gregg. Philip K. Dick: The Last Testament. Long Beach, CA: Fragments West/The Valentine Press, 1985.
- ^ Link to graphic interpretation by R. Crumb of Dick's experience
- Elijah: Prophet of Carmel, by Jane Ackerman, ICS Publications, 2003. ISBN 0-935216-30-8
- Miller, J. M. and J. H. Hayes. A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004. ISBN 0-664-22358-3
Folklore and tradition
- Bialik, H. N. and Y. H Ravnitzky. eds. The Book of Legends: Sefer Ha-Aggadah. New York: Schocken Books, 1992. ISBN 0-8052-4113-2
- Ginzberg, Lewis. Legends of the Bible. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1956.
- Schwartz, Howard. Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-19-508679-1
- Wolfson, Ron and Joel L. Grishaver. Passover: The family Guide to Spiritual Celebration. Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-58023-174-8
Children's literature
- Aronin, Ben and Shay Rieger. The Secret of the Sabbath Fish. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1978. ISBN 0-8276-0110-7
- Goldin, Barbara. Journeys with Elijah: Eight Tales of the Prophet. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999. ISBN 0-15-200445-9
- Jaffe, Nina. The Mysterious Visitor: Stories of the Prophet Elijah. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. ISBN 0-590-48422-2
- Jaffe, Nina. The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition. New York: Holt Publishing, 1998. ISBN 0805043854
- Silverman, Erica. Gittel's Hands. Mahwah, NJ: BridgeWater Books, 1996. ISBN 0-8167-3798-3
- Sydelle, Pearl. Elijah's Tears: Stories for the Jewish Holidays. New York: Holt Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0-8050-4627-5
- Thaler, Mike. Elijah, Prophet Sharing: and Other Bible Stories to Tickle Your Soul. Colorado Springs, CO: Faith Kids Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7814-3512-9
- Scheck, Joann. The Water That Caught On Fire. St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House: ARCH Books, 1969. (59-1159)
References in the Qur'an
- Mission of Elijah: 37:123–126, 37:127–128
- Praise for Elijah: 6:85, 37:129–132
External links
- Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg. The legends of Elijah.
- Jewish Encyclopedia: Elijah
- Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Cosmic Voyages - Mentions (in passing) the story of Elijah being carried up to heaven in a flaming chariot as an inspiration for human flight
- Elijah by Rob Bradshaw Extensive dictionary style article.
- LDS Bible Dictionary Entry on Elijah
- Edith Stein on Elijah in Carmelite spirituality
- Founder Statue in St Peter's Basilica
- Holy, Glorious Prophet Elijah Orthodox icon and synaxarion
- Prophet Ilyas
- The Story of Ilyas (Elias)
- Holy, Glorious Prophet Elijah Orthodox icon and synaxarion
Prophets in the Hebrew Bible Pre-Patriarchs (Bible) Patriarchs and Matriarchs Israelite prophets
in the Torah
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in the Former Prophets
Major Prophets Minor Prophets Noahide prophets Other prophetsItalics denote that the status as a prophet is not universally accepted. · rl are articles dealing with the prophet within Rabbinic Literature. Prophets in the Qur'anNote: Muslims believe that there were many prophets sent by God to mankind. The Islamic prophets above are only the ones mentioned by name in the Qur'an. People in the Quran IndividualsAaron · Abel · Abraham · Abu Bakr · Abū Lahab · Adam · Amram · Anne · Asiya · Azar · Azrael · Believer of Ya-Sin · Benjamin · Cain · Caleb · David · Devil · Dhul-Kifl · Dhul-Qarnayn (Cyrus the Great, Alexander the Great) · Elijah · Elisha · Elizabeth · Eve · Ezra · Gabriel · Gog · Goliath · Haman · Harut · Hud · Idris · Isaac · Ishmael · Jacob · Jesus · Jethro · Joachim · Job · Jochebed · John the Baptist · Jonah · Joseph · Joshua · Khidr · King of Abraham's time · Korah · Lot · Luqman · Luqman's son · Maalik · Magog · Mary · Marut · Michael · Miriam · Moses · Muhammad · Noah · Pharaoh of Joseph's time · Pharaoh of the Exodus · Potiphar · Queen of Sheba · Saleh · Samiri · Samuel · Sarah · Saul · Shoaib · Solomon · Umm Jamil · Wicked man, Parable · Wondering man, Parable · Zachariah · Zaid · Zipporah · Zulaikha General groups Specific GroupsDisciples of Jesus · Jinns of Solomon · Muhammad's wives · Scribes of the Quran · People of the Cave · Pharaoh's sorcerers · Twelve Tribes of Israel CommunitiesʿĀd · Companions of the Elephant · Companions of the Rass · Egypt · · Israelites · Mesopotamia · Midian · Nineveh · Sodom and Gomorrah · Thamud · People of Tubba · People of the Wood · People of Ya-Sin · Quraysh · Romans LifeformsNote: Italics denote that the name of the figure is not mentioned in the Quran, but is taken from other sources of Islamic literature.Categories:
- Prophets of the Hebrew Bible
- Elijah
- Descendants of Eber
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- Books of Kings
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- People celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendar
- Prophets of Islam
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In connection with Mitt Romney's Mormon faith, the priesthood ban is getting a lot of attention from the media again.
The most recent turn comes from The Washington Post, where reporter Jason Horowitz interviews Darius Gray and other black Latter-day Saints about their experience with and feelings about the ban. Searching for a theological explanation for the ban, Horowitz contacted BYU associate professor Randy Bott. Horowitz paraphrases Bott:
According to Mormon scriptures, the descendants of Cain, who slew his brother Abel, "were black." One of Cain's descendants was Egyptus, a woman Mormons believe was the namesake of Egypt. She married Ham, whose descendants were themselves cursed and, in the view of many Mormons, barred from the priesthood by his father, Noah. Bott points to the Mormon holy text, the Book of Abraham, as suggesting that all of the descendents of Ham and Egyptus were thus black and barred from the priesthood.
Professor Bott's explanation is an example of how doctrinal folklore continues to be taught by well-meaning members of the Church. Ironically, the dubious "folk doctrine" in question is no longer even relevant, since it was created to explain a Church policy that was reversed nearly thirty-four years ago.
This theory was adopted by early Latter-day Saints from similar beliefs in early American Protestantism that were used to justify slavery. The Saints used it to explain the policy of denying priesthood ordination to those of African descent, a policy for which no revelation or prophetic explanation was ever given.
The idea went something like this: In the premortal existence, certain spirits were set aside to come to Earth through a lineage that was cursed and marked, first by Cain's murder of his brother and covenant with Satan, and then again later by Ham's offense against his father Noah. The reasons why this lineage was set apart weren't clear, but it was speculated they were somehow less valiant than their premortal brethren during the war in heaven. In this life, then, the holy priesthood was to be withheld from all who had had any trace of that lineage.
As neat and coherent as that scenario might seem, the scriptures typically cited in its support cannot logically be interpreted this way unless one starts with the priesthood ban itself and then works backward, looking for scriptures to support a predetermined belief.
Cain (Genesis 4:11–15; Moses 5:23–25, 36–40). Following Cain's covenant with Satan and murder of Abel, the Lord cursed him that the earth would not yield its strength for him, and that he would be a fugitive and a vagabond. Nothing was said of priesthood. The Lord placed a mark upon him, not as part of the curse, but to protect him from others who would kill him. The mark itself was not described, and there was no indication that it would be passed to his descendents.[1]
Six generations after Cain, Enoch saw a vision of an unspecified future time (Moses 7:4) in which "the seed of Cain were black" (7:22). There is no explanation for this blackness or where it came from; it is not even clear if we are to take it literally or figuratively.[2]
Canaan (Genesis 9:20–27). Ham's son Canaan, for some unexplained reason, was cursed for his father's offense against Noah. No change in skin color was mentioned,[3] nor was there any statement on priesthood. According to the Bible, Canaan was the founder of the Canaanite nation (Genesis 10:15–19). The Canaanites were Caucasian, not black, and had no connection with sub-Saharan (black) Africans.[4]
The Hebrew words "Cain" (qayin) and "Canaan" (ke(na'an) are not related; it is a coincidence that they sound alike in English.
Egyptus (Abraham 1:21–27). The Book of Abraham is the only place that any scriptures speak of the priesthood being withheld from any lineage, but even then it is only the specific lineage of the Pharaohs of Egypt, and there is no explanation as to why that lineage could not have the priesthood, or whether the proscription was temporary or permanent, or which other lineages, if any—especially in the modern world—would be covered by that proscription.[5] According to the Bible, Egypt was founded by Mizraim, another son of Ham, and Canaan's brother (which may be why Abraham 1:21 connects Egypt with the Canaanites). Egyptians, both ancient and modern, were not black Africans, but Northern Africans, culturally related to peoples of the Middle East.
Conclusion. The speculation that modern blacks are the descendants of Cain and Ham is unsupported from the scriptures. In reality we do not know why God allowed the denial of the priesthood to blacks for a time in this dispensation. All we do know is that policy has been reversed by a living prophet.
The "curse of Cain" folk doctrine may have been understandable for our LDS ancestors, but it is neither understandable nor necessary today. The Church is for all God's children, for "he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female…and all are alike unto God" (2 Nephi 26:33).
[1] See Alma 3:18, where the Amlicites "began to mark themselves in their foreheads, [for] they had come out in open rebellion against God; therefore it was expedient that the curse should fall upon them."
[2] In the 1840 edition of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith changed the phrase "white and delightsome" in 2 Nephi 30:6 to read "pure and delightsome," indicating that "white," in at least this context, did not refer to literal skin color, but to righteousness.
[3] Before the flood, there was a race of people called the Canaanites upon whom "a blackness came" (Moses 7:7–8). The text does not indicate if the "blackness" was physical or spiritual. The Canaanites mentioned by Abraham lived in modern Palestine (Abraham 2:15), and Abraham did not have access to the record we call the Book of Moses (it had not yet been written), so it's doubtful there is any connection between the two groups.
[4] If anyone is a candidate for the ancestor of black Africans, it's Cush, Canaan's brother, whose people founded what is now known as Ethiopia (Genesis 10:6; see the reference to skin color in Jeremiah 13:23).
[5] Hugh Nibley offered the explanation that the denial of the priesthood to the Pharaonic line had to do with the claim of the priesthood through the matriarchal line (through Egyptus) rather than the patriarchal. See Abraham in Egypt (Deseret Book, 2000 [2nd] ed.), p. 360–61.
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Review: 'The Oranges'
Hugh Laurie falls for a much younger woman. Haven't we seen this movie before?
Director: Julian Farino
Rating R. Running Time: 90 mins.
Stars: Hugh Laurie, Allison Janney, Oliver Platt, Leighton Meester, Alia Shawkat
Stop me if you've heard this one: Middle-aged man in a spark-less marriage becomes infatuated with a woman half his age, leading to generation-hopping romance, humiliated spouse and children, and general discomfort among longtime friends.
Wait, why didn't you stop me? After all, May-December romances are something like No. 6 on the Top 10 Movie Plots of All Time list. Just ask American Beauty, Daddy Long Legs, Election, Gigi and To Have and Have Not, for starters. And for finishers, how about Lolita?
The Oranges aspires to breathe the rarefied air of those classics, but it's so weightless the high-level winds nearly blow it away. Hugh Laurie, the British star of House giving his American accent one last go-round, is David, the middle-ager in question. Beautiful young Leighton Meester is Nina, the 24-year-old object of his affection, who as an added fillip is the wayward daughter of his best friends (Allison Janney and Oliver Platt). Utterly devastated in the bargain are David's wife Paige (Catherine Keener) and grown kids (Alia Shawkat and Adam Brody).
In real life, of course, such a set of circumstances would inevitably have at least some tragic undertones, leaving an emotional battlefield of scarred psyches in its wake. In Movieland, on the other hand, after everyone gets over the initial shock, and is permitted to emit a flare or two of righteous anger, we learn that what's really, really important in life is being happy. Indeed, between the film's opening scenes, unfolding a few days before Thanksgiving, and the what-lessons-have-we-learned climax, which comes on Christmas Eve, everyone negotiates those stages of loss and anger faster than grease through a Christmas goose.
The Yuletide miracle here is that the veteran cast pulls this hokum off with such aplomb. Laurie, proudly sporting a balding spot that seems to grow from scene to scene, is perfect as a guy who finds himself sliding down the slipperiest of slopes, simultaneously protesting and doing very, very little to get a protective foothold. As the friends, Janney and Platt are infectiously flabbergasted by it all. Best of all is Keener as the betrayed wife who, in the midst of her requisite "this-is-my-chance-to-discover-myself" transformation, is allowed one humdinger of a front-lawn blowup that involves, fittingly enough, decorative front lawn blowups.
The Oranges — named for a cluster of towns familiar to denizens of northern New Jersey — takes a few lame stabs at simulating a Jersey winter. But the holiday decorations on the blotchy white spray-painted lawns are less than convincing. As is the movie.
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The school spent another year dealing with off-field issues, from the eligibility of a top basketball player to a long-running academic scandal and now a reopened NCAA investigation. The Tar Heels also failed to win an Atlantic Coast Conference championship in any sport for the first time.
"We're wrestling with some of the toughest issues you can wrestle with," Cunningham said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It's taxing on the faculty. It's taxing on the faculty council. It's taxing on the coaches, on the students in the classroom. It is something that as an institution, we have to figure out how we can move forward."
UNC finished 14th in the 2013-14 Directors' Cup standings of the nation's top overall sports programs, the first time in six years and the fourth time in the competition's 21 seasons that it failed to make the top 10. Cunningham pointed to ACC expansion and parity as factors in the title-less season.
"It's not that the sky is falling," he said, "but you do need to pay attention and see what we can do to improve performance."
The highlight was women's tennis finishing as NCAA runner-up, while men's tennis reached the final eight, women's basketball came within a game of the Final Four and field hockey reached the national semifinals. Football -- led by Cunningham's first major hire, Larry Fedora -- regrouped from a 1-5 start to win a bowl game.
But much of Cunningham's third season was spent dealing concerns outside the lines.
The school spent much of 2013 investigating violations by NBA prospect P.J. Hairston before deciding not to seek his reinstatement from the NCAA, ending his college career.
Scrutiny of academics for athletes increased in January when a former UNC learning specialist told CNN that the majority of football and basketball players she studied from 2004-12 read at below-grade levels, though three outside researchers later said the data did not support her findings.
The school also hired former U.S. Justice Department official Kenneth Wainstein to investigate the causes of fraud -- first found in 2011 -- in the formerly named African and Afro-American (AFAM) department featuring classes with significant athlete enrollments and dating to the 1990s.
Then, in June, former basketball player Rashad McCants from the 2005 NCAA championship team told ESPN that tutors wrote papers for him and coach Roy Williams knew he took some of the AFAM classes in question. Weeks later, the NCAA said it was reopening its probe into academic misconduct because new information was available.
"It certainly has taken longer than I anticipated," Cunningham said. "In 2011 we all thought we had NCAA issues with agents and amateurism; 2012 is really when the academic challenges arose. In 2013 we had a chancellor leave ... so we've had a year of transition.
"It has been a long time to see similar issues arise. Now we're all hopeful that this final report that we're doing [from Wainstein] ... will bring closure to it."
Cunningham and provost James W. Dean Jr. have also spent the past year leading a review of how UNC handles academics for athletes, from the admissions process to academic support programs and NCAA compliance education. It will last into the fall.
Along the way, UNC has put some facility projects to the side while dealing with everything else.
UNC is looking at updates for an aging Fetzer Field, home to the soccer, lacrosse and outdoor track programs. UNC is also mulling upgrades or even a replacement to the Smith Center, the 21,750-seat home to men's basketball built in 1986. Both are still in planning stages.
"It's not always going to be perfect," Cunningham said. "I think what I have tried to bring to the department is a sense of calm, a sense of consistency that we are moving in a positive direction, that we do have a plan in how we can continue to improve and that we're working together for a common goal: for these students to have an outstanding experience."