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86-495: According to Christian tradition, Elijah rested here after fleeing the vengeance of Jezebel . It is also said to be the burial place of the Greek Bishop Elias of Bethlehem who died in 1345, and St. Elias , an Egyptian monk who became Patriarch of Jerusalem in 494. Another Christian tradition is that Mary rested under the large hackberry tree growing north of the monastery when she was fleeing Herod, who had ordered

172-405: A synopsis of the synoptic gospels. Instead of harmonizing them, he displayed their texts side by side, making both similarities and divergences apparent. Griesbach, noticing the special place of Mark in the synopsis, hypothesized Marcan posteriority and advanced (as Henry Owen had a few years earlier ) the two-gospel hypothesis (Matthew–Luke). In the nineteenth century, researchers applied

258-407: A still, small voice , which bids Elijah go forth again - this time to Damascus to anoint Hazael as king of Aram , Jehu as king of Israel , and Elisha as the old prophet's successor. 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

344-430: 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 : Elijah had arrived at Mount Horeb after the demonstration of God's presence and power on Mount Carmel . God asks Elijah to explain his arrival, and Elijah replies: "I have been very jealous for

430-481: A chariot of fire and horses of fire appear and Elijah is lifted up in a whirlwind. As Elijah is lifted up, his mantle falls to the ground and Elisha picks it up. Elijah is mentioned once more in 2 Chronicles 21:12, which will be his final mention in the Hebrew Bible. 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

516-471: A common mind on a single issue." More recently, Andris Abakuks applied a statistical time series approach to the Greek texts to determine the relative likelihood of these proposals. Models without Q fit reasonably well. Matthew and Luke were statistically dependent on their borrowings from Mark. This suggests at least one of Matthew and Luke had access to the other's work. The most likely synoptic gospel to be

602-505: 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 "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?" Ahaziah asks the messengers to describe the person who gave them this message. They tell him he

688-470: A hundred Jewish prophets from Jezebel's violent purge. Obadiah fears that when he reports to Ahab about Elijah's whereabouts, Elijah would disappear, provoking Ahab to execute him. Elijah reassures Obadiah and sends him to Ahab. When Ahab confronts Elijah, he denounces him as being the "troubler of Israel" but Elijah retorts that Ahab himself is the one who troubled Israel by allowing the worship of false gods ( shedim ). At Elijah's instruction, Ahab summons

774-566: A leper came and worships him, saying: Lord, if you wish, I can be cleansed. And he stretched out his hand and touched him, say ing : I wish it; be cleansed. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And , calling out to him, there comes to him a leper and kneeling and saying to him: If you wish, I can be cleansed. And , moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand and touched him and say s to him : I wish it; be cleansed. And immediately

860-591: 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

946-593: A number of biblical scholars, who have attempted to relaunch the Augustinian hypothesis , the Griesbach hypothesis and the Farrer hypothesis . In particular, the existence of the Q source has received harsh criticism in the first two decades of the 21st century: scholars such as Mark Goodacre and Brant Pitre have pointed out that no manuscript of Q has ever been found, nor is any reference to Q ever made in

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1032-584: A personality of heroic proportions. In this process his actions and relations to the people and the King became stereotyped, and the presentation of his behavior paradigmatic. 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

1118-626: A priest: why then dost thou stand in a cemetery?" A midrash tells that they even abolished the sign of the covenant, and the prophet had to appear as Israel's accuser before God. 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. The vision in which God revealed Himself to Elijah gave him at

1204-500: A shrub, praying for death and eventually falling asleep. At length an angel of the Lord rouses him gently, telling him to wake up and eat. When he awakens he finds bread and a jar of water, eats, drinks, and goes back to sleep. The angel then comes to him a second time, telling him to eat and drink afresh, because he has a long journey ahead of him. Elijah travels for forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb , where Moses had received

1290-658: A time, but did not bring peace with the Israelite prophets, who advocated a strict deuteronomic interpretation of the religious law. Under Ahab's kingship tensions exacerbated. Ahab built a temple for Baal, and his wife Jezebel brought a large entourage of priests and prophets of Baal and Asherah into the country. In this context 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 form, because Ahab and his queen stand at

1376-656: A very 'northern' situation in the southern kingdom", and thus is authentic. While the final mention of Elijah in the Hebrew Bible is in the Book of Chronicles, the Christian Bible 's reordering places the Book of Malachi (which prophesies a messiah) as the final book of the Old Testament , before the New Testament gospels . Thus, Elijah's final Old Testament appearance is in the Book of Malachi, where it

1462-562: Is Marcan posteriority , with Mark having been formed primarily by extracting what Matthew and Luke shared in common. An extensive set of material—some two hundred verses, or roughly half the length of the triple tradition—are the pericopae shared between Matthew and Luke, but absent in Mark. This is termed the double tradition . Parables and other sayings predominate in the double tradition, but also included are narrative elements: Unlike triple-tradition material, double-tradition material

1548-466: Is Marcan priority , whereby Mark was composed first, and Matthew and Luke each used Mark, incorporating much of it, with adaptations, into their own gospels. Alan Kirk praises Matthew in particular for his "scribal memory competence" and "his high esteem for and careful handling of both Mark and Q", which makes claims the latter two works are significantly different in terms of theology or historical reliability dubious. A leading alternative hypothesis

1634-532: Is God; the L ORD —he is God." Elijah then orders them to seize the prophets of Baal, which they do, and Elijah brings them down to the River Kishon and slays them, at which the rains begin, signaling the end of the famine. Jezebel , enraged that Elijah has killed the prophets of Baal, threatens to kill him. Elijah flees to Beersheba in Judah , continues alone into the wilderness, and finally sits down under

1720-407: Is a god; either he is meditating, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.'" They respond by shouting louder and slashing themselves with swords and spears. They continue praying until evening without success. Elijah then repairs Yahweh's altar with twelve stones, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Elijah digs a trench around it and prepares

1806-434: Is a key facet of the synoptic problem. The simplest hypothesis is Luke relied on Matthew's work or vice versa. But many experts, on various grounds, maintain that neither Matthew nor Luke used the other's work. If this is the case, they must have drawn from some common source, distinct from Mark, that provided the double-tradition material and overlapped with Mark's content where major agreements occur. This hypothetical document

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1892-460: 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, dogs will also lick up your blood." Ahab begins the confrontation by calling Elijah his enemy. Elijah responds by throwing

1978-539: Is generally designated as the abode of Elijah, but since the location of paradise is itself uncertain, the last two statements may be identical. 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. Elijah's glory is honoured in the Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus). His designated tasks are altered to: At Jewish circumcision ceremonies,

2064-1169: Is in a different point of the narrative. Some would say that Luke has extensively adapted an element of the triple tradition, while others would regard it as a distinct pericope. An illustrative example of the three texts in parallel is the healing of the leper : Καὶ ἰδοὺ, λεπρ ὸς προσελθ ὼν προσεκύνει αὐτ ῷ λέγων · Κύριε, ἐὰν θέλῃς δύνασαί με καθαρίσαι. καὶ ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἥψατο αὐτοῦ λέγ ων· Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι· καὶ εὐθ έως ἐκαθαρίσθη αὐτοῦ ἡ λέπρα . Καὶ ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν λεπρ ὸς παρακαλ ῶν αὐτὸν καὶ γονυπετῶν καὶ λέγων αὐτ ῷ ὅτι, Ἐὰν θέλῃς δύνασαί με καθαρίσαι. καὶ σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἥψατο καὶ λέγ ει αὐτῷ· Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι· καὶ εὐθ ὺς ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἡ λέπρα , καὶ ἐκαθαρίσθη. Καὶ ἰδοὺ, ἀνὴρ πλήρης λέπρ ας· ἰδ ὼν δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἐδεήθη αὐτ οῦ λέγων · Κύριε, ἐὰν θέλῃς δύνασαί με καθαρίσαι. καὶ ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἥψατο αὐτοῦ λέγ ων· Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι· καὶ εὐθ έως ἡ λέπρα ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ . And behold,

2150-406: Is much more variable in order. The classification of text as belonging to the triple tradition (or for that matter, double tradition) is not always definitive, depending rather on the degree of similarity demanded. Matthew and Mark report the cursing of the fig tree , a single incident, despite some substantial differences of wording and content. In Luke, the only parable of the barren fig tree

2236-455: Is notable for containing a greater concentration of Semitisms than any other gospel material. Luke gives some indication of how he composed his gospel in his prologue: Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from

2322-568: Is structured differently in the two gospels. Matthew's lengthy Sermon on the Mount , for example, is paralleled by Luke's shorter Sermon on the Plain , with the remainder of its content scattered throughout Luke. This is consistent with the general pattern of Matthew collecting sayings into large blocks, while Luke does the opposite and intersperses them with narrative. Besides the double tradition proper, Matthew and Luke often agree against Mark within

2408-602: Is termed Q , for the German Quelle , meaning "source". Matthew and Luke contain a large amount of material found in no other gospel. These materials are sometimes called "Special Matthew" or M and "Special Luke" or L . Both Special Matthew and Special Luke include distinct opening infancy narratives and post-resurrection conclusions (with Luke continuing the story in his second book Acts ). In between, Special Matthew includes mostly parables, while Special Luke includes both parables and healings. Special Luke

2494-480: Is written, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome 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 strike the land with a decree of utter destruction." Scholars generally agree that a prophet named Elijah existed in the Kingdom of Israel during the reigns of Kings Ahab and Ahaziah , that he

2580-706: The Babylonian Talmud . According to some Jewish interpretations, Elijah will return during the End of Times. The Christian New Testament notes that some people thought that Jesus was, in some sense, Elijah, but it also makes clear that John the Baptist is "the Elijah" who was promised to come in Malachi 3:1 ; 4:5 . According to accounts in all three of the Synoptic Gospels , Elijah appeared with Moses during

2666-608: The Independence hypothesis , which denies documentary relationships altogether. On this collapse of consensus, Wenham observed: "I found myself in the Synoptic Problem Seminar of the Society for New Testament Studies, whose members were in disagreement over every aspect of the subject. When this international group disbanded in 1982 they had sadly to confess that after twelve years' work they had not reached

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2752-560: 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". One such decision was whether the Passover Seder required four or five cups of wine. Each serving of wine corresponds to one of

2838-560: The Ten Commandments . Elijah is the only person described in the Bible as returning to Horeb, after Moses and his generation had left Horeb several centuries before. He seeks shelter in a cave . Elijah is told to "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the L ORD , for the L ORD is about to pass by." There comes a mighty wind, then an earthquake and then fire, but Yahweh is not in any of these, choosing to come instead as

2924-574: The Transfiguration of Jesus . Elijah in Islam appears in the Quran as a prophet and messenger of God , where his biblical narrative of preaching against the worshipers of Baal is recounted in a concise form. Due to his importance to Muslims, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians, Elijah has been venerated as the patron saint of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1752. According to the Bible, by

3010-400: The leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. And behold, a man full of lepr osy. But, upon seeing Jesus, he fell upon his face and requested him, saying: Lord, if you wish, I can be cleansed. And he stretched out his hand and touched him, say ing : I wish it; be cleansed. And immediately the leprosy left him. More than half

3096-498: The "four expressions of redemption" in the Book of Exodus : Synoptic Gospels The gospels of Matthew , Mark , and Luke are referred to as the synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar or sometimes identical wording. They stand in contrast to John , whose content is largely distinct. The term synoptic ( Latin : synopticus ; Greek : συνοπτικός , romanized :  synoptikós ) comes via Latin from

3182-600: The 4th century, the monks of Mar Elias have cultivated olives and grapes. Elijah Elijah ( / ɪ ˈ l aɪ dʒ ə / il- EYE -jə ) was a prophet and a miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible . In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worship of the Hebrew deity Yahweh over that of

3268-434: The 9th century BC, the Kingdom of Israel , once united under Solomon , had been divided into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah (which retained the historical capital of Jerusalem along with its Temple ). Omri , King of Israel, continued policies dating from the reign of Jeroboam , contrary to religious law, that were intended to reorient religious focus away from Jerusalem: encouraging

3354-484: The Canaanite deity Baal . God also performed many miracles through Elijah, including resurrection , bringing fire down from the sky, and ascending to heaven alive . He is also portrayed as leading a school of prophets known as "the sons of the prophets." Following Elijah's ascension, his disciple and devoted assistant Elisha took over as leader of this school. The Book of Malachi prophesies Elijah's return "before

3440-584: The Gospel of Mark as a source, and further holds that Matthew and Luke also drew from an additional hypothetical document, called Q . Broadly speaking, the synoptic gospels are similar to John: all are composed in Koine Greek , have a similar length, and were completed in less than a century after Jesus' death. They also differ from non-canonical sources, such as the Gospel of Thomas , in that they belong to

3526-543: The Gospels had been written. For example, Clement of Alexandria held that Matthew wrote first, Luke wrote second and Mark wrote third; on the other hand, Origen argued that Matthew wrote first, Mark wrote second and Luke wrote third; , Tertullian states that John and Matthew were published first and that Mark and Luke came later. and Irenaeus precedes all these and orders his famous 'four pillar story' by John, Luke, Matthew, and Mark. A remark by Augustine of Hippo at

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3612-496: The Greek σύνοψις , synopsis , i.e. "(a) seeing all together, synopsis". The modern sense of the word in English is of "giving an account of the events from the same point of view or under the same general aspect". It is in this sense that it is applied to the synoptic gospels. This strong parallelism among the three gospels in content, arrangement, and specific language is widely attributed to literary interdependence, though

3698-482: 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". According to Rabbinic tradition, Elijah's words were patently untrue, and since Elijah accused Israel of failing to uphold the covenant, God would require Elijah to be present at every covenant of circumcision. In

3784-450: The ancient genre of biography, collecting not only Jesus' teachings, but recounting in an orderly way his origins, his ministry, and his passion, and alleged miracles, and resurrection. In content and in wording, though, the synoptics diverge widely from John but have a great deal in common with each other. Though each gospel includes some unique material, the majority of Mark and roughly half of Matthew and Luke coincide in content, in much

3870-436: The beginning of the fifth century presents the gospels as composed in their canonical order (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), with each evangelist thoughtfully building upon and supplementing the work of his predecessors—the Augustinian hypothesis (Matthew–Mark). This view (when any model of dependence was considered at all) seldom came into question until the late eighteenth century, when Johann Jakob Griesbach published in 1776

3956-504: The biblical portrayal of him reflects legendary and theological embellishment rather than purely historical documentation. In Judaism, Elijah's name is invoked at the weekly Havdalah rite that marks the end of Shabbat , and Elijah is invoked in other Jewish customs, among them the Passover Seder and the brit milah (ritual circumcision). He appears in numerous stories and references in the Haggadah and rabbinic literature , including

4042-505: The brook dries up, God sends him to a widow living in the town of Zarephath in Phoenicia . When Elijah finds her, he asks her for some water and a piece of bread, but 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, "Do not be afraid ... For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of flour will not be used up, and

4128-530: The building of local temple altars for sacrifices, appointing priests from outside the family of the Levites , and allowing or encouraging temples dedicated to Baal , an important deity in ancient Canaanite religion . Omri achieved domestic security with a marriage alliance between his son Ahab and princess Jezebel , a worshipper of Baal and the daughter of the king of Sidon in Phoenicia . These solutions brought security and economic prosperity to Israel for

4214-464: 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", down to

4300-412: The centrality of documentary interdependence and hypothetical documentary sources as an explanation for all aspects of the synoptic problem. In recent decades, weaknesses of the two-source theory have been more widely recognized, and debate has reignited. Many have independently argued that Luke did make some use of Matthew after all. British scholars went further and dispensed with Q entirely, ascribing

4386-696: The charge back at him, telling him that he has made himself the enemy of God by his own actions. Elijah 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 so sincerely that God stays his hand in punishing Ahab, choosing instead to vent his wrath upon Jezebel and her son by Ahab, Ahaziah . Elijah's story continues now from Ahab to an encounter with Ahaziah ( 2 Kings 1 ). The scene opens with Ahaziah seriously injured in

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4472-636: The coming of the great and terrible day of the L ORD ," making him a harbinger of the Messiah and of the eschaton in various faiths that revere the Hebrew Bible. References to Elijah appear in Sirach , the New Testament , the Mishnah and Talmud , the Quran , the Book of Mormon , and Baháʼí writings. Scholars generally agree that a historical figure named Elijah existed in ancient Israel, yet some argue that

4558-676: The double tradition to Luke's direct use of Matthew—the Farrer hypothesis of 1955. New attention is also being given (for example, by Robert MacEwen and Alan Garrow) to the Wilke hypothesis of 1838 which, like Farrer, dispenses with Q but ascribes the double tradition to Matthew's direct use of Luke (Matthean Posteriority). Meanwhile, the Augustinian hypothesis has also made a comeback, especially in American scholarship. The Jerusalem school hypothesis has also attracted fresh advocates, as has

4644-478: The double tradition was explained by Matthew and Luke independently using two sources—thus, the two-source (Mark–Q) theory —which supplemented Mark with another hypothetical source consisting mostly of sayings. This additional source was at first seen as the logia (sayings) spoken of by Papias and thus called "Λ", but later it became more generally known as "Q" , from the German Quelle , meaning source . This two-source theory eventually won wide acceptance and

4730-402: The end of a line of kings of Israel who are said to have "done evil in the sight of the Lord." No background for the person of Elijah is given except for his brief characterization as a Tishbite. His name in Hebrew means "My God is Jah ," and may be a title applied to him because of his challenge to worship of Baal. As told in the Hebrew Bible, Elijah's challenge is bold and direct. Baal

4816-494: The execution of all the children of Bethlehem. From the hill east of the monastery, in 1956 one or rather several Jordanian soldiers opened fire on a group of Israeli archaeologists visiting the excavation sites across the valley at Ramat Rachel , killing Jacob Pinkerfield and another three, and injuring 16. During the 1967 Six-Day War , the Israel Defense Forces quickly overran Jordanian defences around

4902-476: The influential four-document hypothesis . This exemplifies the prevailing scholarship of the time, which saw the canonical gospels as late products, dating from well into the second century, composed by unsophisticated cut-and-paste redactors out of a progression of written sources, and derived in turn from oral traditions and from folklore that had evolved in various communities. More recently, however, as this view has gradually fallen into disfavor, so too has

4988-445: The jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land." She feeds him the last of their food, and Elijah's promise miraculously comes true. Some time later the widow's son dies and the widow cries, "You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!" Elijah prays that God might restore her son so that the trustworthiness of God's word might be demonstrated, and "[God] listened to

5074-452: 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 live 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

5160-610: The last was Luke. The least likely was Mark. While this weighs against the Griesbach proposal and favors the Farrer, he does not claim any proposals are ruled out. No definitive solution to the Synoptic Problem has been found yet. The two-source hypothesis , which was dominant throughout the 20th century, still enjoys the support of most New Testament scholars; however, it has come under substantial attack in recent years by

5246-572: The later stories of the Chasidic rabbis , reverence and love, expectation and hope were always connected in the Jewish consciousness with Elijah. Three different theories regarding Elijah's origin are presented in the Aggadah literature: (1) he belonged to the tribe of Gad, (2) he was a Benjamite from Jerusalem, identical with the Elijah mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:27, and (3) he was a priest. Many Christian Church fathers also have stated that Elijah

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5332-516: The monastery on the way to Bethlehem and Hebron . After 1967 the height, known as Elijah Hill, was renamed in Hebrew as Givat ha'Arba'a, Hill of the Four, in honour of the four victims killed in the 1956 incident. Facing the monastery is a stone bench erected by the wife of the painter William Holman Hunt (1827–1910), who painted some of his major works at this spot. The bench is inscribed with biblical verses in Hebrew, Greek, Arabic and English. Since

5418-399: The other bull for sacrifice as before. He then orders that the sacrifice and altar be drenched with water from "four large jars" poured three times, filling also the trench. He asks Yahweh to accept the sacrifice. Fire falls from the sky, consuming the sacrifice, the stones of the altar itself, the earth and the water in the trench as well. When the people see this, they declare, "The L ORD —he

5504-450: The people of Israel, 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of Asherah to Mount Carmel . Elijah then berates the people for their acquiescence in Baal worship: "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the L ORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." Elijah proposes a direct test of the powers of Baal and Yahweh (both Asherah and her prophets disappear from

5590-459: 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. But as early as the middle of the 2nd century, when the notion of translation to heaven underwent divergent possible interpretations by Christian theologians, the assertion was made that Elijah never entered into heaven proper. In later literature paradise

5676-471: The prophets" knew beforehand that Elijah would one day be assumed into heaven. Elisha asked Elijah to "let a double portion" of Elijah's "spirit" be upon him. Elijah agreed, with the condition that Elisha would see him be "taken". Elijah, in company with Elisha, approaches the Jordan. He rolls up his mantle and strikes the water. The water immediately divides and Elijah and Elisha cross on dry land. Suddenly,

5762-690: The relation of the synoptic gospels to John ; to non-canonical gospels such as Thomas , Peter , and Egerton ; to the Didache ; and to lost documents such as the Hebrew logia mentioned by Papias , the Jewish–Christian gospels , and the Gospel of Marcion . Ancient sources virtually unanimously ascribe the synoptic gospels to the apostle Matthew , to Peter 's interpreter Mark , and to Paul 's companion Luke —hence their respective canonical names. The ancient authors, however, did not agree on which order

5848-455: The role of orality and memorization of sources has also been explored by scholars. The question of the precise nature of their literary relationship—the synoptic problem —has been a topic of debate for centuries and has been described as "the most fascinating literary enigma of all time". While no conclusive solution has been found yet, the longstanding majority view favors Marcan priority , in which both Matthew and Luke have made direct use of

5934-403: The same sequence, often nearly verbatim. This common material is termed the triple tradition . The triple tradition, the material included by all three synoptic gospels, includes many stories and teachings: The triple tradition's pericopae (passages) tend to be arranged in much the same order in all three gospels. This stands in contrast to the material found in only two of the gospels, which

6020-462: The same time a picture of the destinies of man, who has to pass through "four worlds." This world was shown to the prophet by God through symbolism: in the form of the wind, since the world 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. Three years after this vision, Elijah was "translated." Concerning

6106-409: The so-called "Great Omission" from Luke of Mk 6:45–8:26 . Most scholars take these observations as a strong clue to the literary relationship among the synoptics and Mark's special place in that relationship, though various scholars suggest an entirely oral relationship or a dependence emphasizing memory and tradents in a tradition rather than simple copying. The hypothesis favored by most experts

6192-409: The story entirely): he and Baal's prophets will each take one of two bulls, prepare it for sacrifice and lay it on wood, but put no fire to it. The prophets of Baal choose and prepare a bull accordingly. Elijah then invites them to pray for fire to light the sacrifice. They pray from morning to noon without success. Elijah ridicules their efforts. "At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, 'Cry aloud! Surely he

6278-470: The three synoptic gospels often agree very closely in wording and order, both in quotations and in narration. Most scholars ascribe this to documentary dependence , direct or indirect, meaning the close agreements among synoptic gospels are due to one gospel's drawing from the text of another, or from some written source that another gospel also drew from. The synoptic problem hinges on several interrelated points of controversy: Some theories try to explain

6364-548: The tools of literary criticism to the synoptic problem in earnest, especially in German scholarship. Early work revolved around a hypothetical proto-gospel ( Ur-Gospel ), possibly in Aramaic , underlying the synoptics. From this line of inquiry, however, a consensus emerged that Mark itself served as the principal source for the other two gospels— Marcan priority . In a theory first proposed by Christian Hermann Weisse in 1838,

6450-472: The triple tradition tend to be explanatory elaborations (e.g., "the stone was rolled back, for it was very large " ) or Aramaisms (e.g., " Talitha kum ! " ). The pericopae Mark shares with only Luke are also quite few: the Capernaum exorcism and departure from Capernaum, the strange exorcist , and the widow's mites . A greater number, but still not many, are shared with only Matthew, most notably

6536-420: The triple tradition to varying extents, sometimes including several additional verses, sometimes differing by a single word. These are termed the major and minor agreements (the distinction is imprecise ). One example is in the passion narrative, where Mark has simply, "Prophesy!" while Matthew and Luke both add, "Who is it that struck you?" The double tradition's origin, with its major and minor agreements,

6622-411: The very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus , so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed. The "synoptic problem" is the question of the specific literary relationship among the three synoptic gospels—that is, the question as to the source or sources upon which each synoptic gospel depended when it was written. The texts of

6708-485: The voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived." This is the first instance of raising the dead recorded in Scripture. The widow cried, "the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth." After more than three years of drought and famine, God tells Elijah to return to Ahab and announce the end of the drought. While on his way, Elijah meets Obadiah , the head of Ahab's household, who had hidden

6794-413: The whirlwind. Michael Wilcock, formerly of Trinity College, Bristol , 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. John Van Seters , however, rejects the letter as having any connection with the Elijah tradition. However, Wilcock argues that Elijah's letter "does address

6880-446: The wording in this passage is identical. Each gospel includes words absent in the other two and omits something included by the other two. The triple tradition itself constitutes a complete gospel quite similar to the shortest gospel, Mark. Mark, unlike Matthew and Luke, adds little to the triple tradition. Pericopae unique to Mark are scarce, notably two healings involving saliva and the naked runaway . Mark's additions within

6966-628: Was a hairy man with a leather belt around his waist 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. Ahaziah dies without recovering from his injuries in accordance with Elijah's word. According to 2 Kings 2:3–9, Elisha (Eliseus) and "the sons of

7052-516: Was a priest. Some rabbis have speculated that he should be identified with Phinehas . According to later Kabbalistic literature, Elijah was really an angel in human form, so that he had neither parents nor offspring. The Midrash Rabbah Exodus 4:2 states "Elijah should have revived his parents as he had revived the son of the Zarephathite" indicating he surely had parents. The Talmud states "Said he [Rabbah] to him (Elijah): Art thou not

7138-441: Was a religious figure of great personal dynamism and conservative zeal and the leader of resistance to the rise of Baal worship in Israel in the ninth century BC. In the opinion of some scholars, however, the biblical presentation of the prophet cannot be taken as historical documentation of his activity. The biblical texts present his career through the eyes of popular legend and subsequent theological reflection, which consider him

7224-462: 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

7310-426: Was seldom questioned until the late twentieth century; most scholars simply took this new orthodoxy for granted and directed their efforts toward Q itself, and this is still largely the case. The theory is also well known in a more elaborate form set forth by Burnett Hillman Streeter in 1924, which additionally hypothesized written sources "M" and "L" (for "Special Matthew" and "Special Luke" respectively)—hence

7396-490: Was the Canaanite god responsible for rain, thunder, lightning, and dew. Elijah thus, when he initially announces the drought, not only challenges Baal on behalf of God himself, but he also challenges Jezebel, her priests, Ahab and the people of Israel. After Elijah's confrontation with Ahab, God tells him to flee out of Israel, to a hiding place by the brook Chorath , east of the Jordan , where he will be fed by ravens . When

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