Elijah (redirected from Eliahu)

Elijah (ēlī`jə) or Elias (ēlī`əs) [both: Heb.,=Yahweh is God], fl. c.875 B.C., Hebrew prophet in the reign of King Ahab. He is one of the outstanding figures of the Bible. Elijah's mission was to destroy the worship of foreign gods and to restore exclusive loyalty to God. His zeal brought about a temporary banishment of idolatry (see Jezebel). Incidents in his life include his raising the widow's son from the dead; his contest of faith with the priests of Baal, resulting in his triumph and their death; his being fed by ravens; his experience of the still, small voice on Mt. Horeb (Sinai); and his departure from earth in a chariot of fire enveloped in a whirlwind. His disciple was Elisha. Unlike other great prophets, Elijah and Elisha left no written records. In Jewish tradition, Elijah is the eschatological herald of the Messiah. John the Baptist and Jesus were asked if they were the incarnation of Elijah, who appeared at the Transfiguration. The prophet is prominent in the Qur'an. Mendelssohn composed an oratorio, Elijah.

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Elijah

 or Elias Hebrew Eliyyahu

(flourished 9th century BC) Hebrew prophet. The Bible related that he denounced foreign cults and defeated 450 prophets of Baal in a contest on Mount Carmel. In doing so, he earned the enmity of King Ahab and his consort, Jezebel, who forced him to flee into the wilderness. Later he was taken up into heaven in a whirlwind, leaving behind his successor, Elisha. His insistence that only the God of Israel is entitled to the name of divinity expresses a fully conscious monotheism. He is also recognized as a prophet in Islam.

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Elijah

Old Testament a Hebrew prophet of the 9th century bc, who was persecuted for denouncing Ahab and Jezebel. (I Kings 17--21: 21; II Kings 1--2:18)

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Elijah

transported to heaven in fiery chariot. [O.T.: II Kings 2:11]

See : Ascension

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Elijah

traditionally represented at ceremony by empty chair. [Judaism: Wigoder, 172]

See : Circumcision

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Elijah

breathes life back into child. [O.T.: I Kings 17:18]

See : Resurrection