Prophet Elijah

Introduction to Early Jesus Narratives Sometimes a great story can be enhanced with a great sequel. Sometimes a great story can be honored by a great rewrite. For example, Homer's Iliad is followed up by the Odyssey. In the Odyssey a minor character from the Iliad, Odysseus, becomes the main character and provides the reader with many new adventures. Hundreds of years later these Greek classics, so important to Greek culture, were used as a basis for Virgil's Aeneid. The Aeneid was both a sequel to and a rewrite of the Iliad and the Odyssey. It reused and reframed many of the themes of the original work in a new, later timeline that took the new hero, Aeneas, to the West to found the tribes who would later found Rome. This rewriting of Homer was a staple in Hellenic and greco-Roman literature. Everyone who could read was trained how to read through Homer's epics, among other writings. If you had something important to say, invoking Homeric verses would get people's attention. I believe I have found a similar repetition of foundational myths in the Hebrew Bible. One of those foundational myths was Joshua son of Nun, to the Greek speaking Judeans he would have been Iesous, transliterated to Jesus today. Important events to the Judeans sometimes invoked some tales that included a character named Jesus (Jeshua or Joshua in most English translations). The very founding of Israel invokes a leader named Jesus who conquered the land, which included killing the king of Jerusalem. He wrote down laws on stones, a typical thing for a foundational hero in myths. As the story stands today, immediately following the Torah in both the Tanakh and the Christian Old Testament, Jesus (Joshua son of Nun) simply carried out the orders left to him by his predecessor, Moses. Moses asked YHWH for someone to lead the Israelites, and so Jesus led them into the promised land. Jesus is often portrayed in the Torah as an aide for Moses, and Moses gives Jesus the spirit by laying hands on him. So in the current structure of the books, Jesus and his conquest and his law giving are simply part of a broader storyline. In this broader storyline Jesus is overshadowed by the greatest lawgiver of all, Moses. Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt in what is called the Exodus, and on the way many adventures occur, some of which include Jesus. So the foundational mythology of Israel, the mythology of the later Judeans and Christians and Jews, was that of the Exodus and Conquest, led by Moses and Jesus son of Nun. The Big Event Throughout the Hebrew Bible one event stands out. It is mourned in Second Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Ezekiel. It is a critical component of the story of Daniel. It is the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar.

“‘The Elijah Stories’ remember Elijah as a performer - an artist whose words and gestures riveted themselves into Israel’s memory. His words are not the familiar oracle or verdict so often associated with the prophet, but rather taunt”.
Don. C. Benjamin.

During the second half of the 18th century and throughout the 19th century, the composition of the Last Judgement was enriched with additional themes and contents. Among the striking contents are the three so-called apocalyptic scenes derived from the Book of Revelation where the main protagonists are the Righteous Enoch, the Prophet Elijah, the Antichrist and the Archangel Michael. Although, long before the scenes were included in the Last Judgement, there had been a great interest in Revelation in the Western world since the 9th century. Hence, we are tracking the oldest depictions, as well as the visualization of the scenes regarding the above-mentioned protagonists in the medieval illuminated manuscripts, and also in the Athonite Apocalypse cycles, representing a significant source of inspiration. Furthermore, we present the examples of the Last Judgement incorporating the three scenes in chronological order from 1754(94) to 1873, depicted on icons, paper icons and wall painting.

Arab icons, insufficiently known in the West, constitute a heritage that
reflects the Christian faith of those who inhabit the lands where the life of Jesus happened. This heritage does not escape the influence of the environment in which they are located, both currently and in the past. Then, it will not be surprising that the two icons presented in this paper refer to the biblical scenes of the Sacrifice of Isaac and the Ascent of Elijah in the Chariot of Fire. In considering these icons, it should be noted that in both cases they are representations of the Old Testament, which is not so common in icon painting. And, both topics correspond to fundamental characters for believers of the three Abrahamic monotheistic religions. Probably, for this reason, this is the place where coexistence between religions has allowed (to a greater extent, or practically exclusively) these specific developments. In other words, the few iconographic types of the Old Testament in the diverse cosmos of Orthodox icons seem to be represented more frequently towards the East.

In both Jewish and Christian tradition, the prophet Elijah is portrayed as the harbinger of the Messiah. He is closely linked with the preservation of the covenant and the Law of the Eternal, the call to repentance, the rejection of foreign gods and corrupt political power, as well as the announcement of judgment day. Ancient sources from bridges not only to the past but also to the future; and Elijah, along with Moses, is a witness not only to the past but also to the future, announcing the coming of the Messiah and his kingship in the midst of the tribulations to come. This paper is to chart Elijah’s story, significance, and connections to redemption and Moses, as these are exhibited in the Hebrew Scriptures, in the New Testament, and in Jewish tradition.

O presente trabalho, que versa sobre o texto de 1Rs 17,7-16, tem por objetivo verificar a relação existente entre o milagre aí narrado, a palavra de Deus e a subsistência dos personagens que recebem alimento num momento de carestia. Para tanto, seguindo etapas do Método Histórico-Crítico, de início localizará a perícope em seu contexto imediato, analisará sua coerência interna e o modo como está organizada. Atenção particular exigirá ainda o estudo do gênero literário na narrativa. Enfim, deter-se-á na leitura minuciosa do relato, procurando verificar as conexões entre os três eixos acima mencionados. Conclui-se que o ponto fulcral da perícope está na afirmação do poder de YHWH sobre a natureza e a proteção que ele oferece ao seu profeta e àqueles que o acolhem. Por outro lado, o texto sublinha o tema da obediência à palavra divina. Tudo isso serve para afirmar que YHWH é vida e realiza vida dentro e fora de Israel.

To read the poem, Oversoul is to think of the Bhagavadgita and its translation down the ages. Who the writers, how their translations? How the commentaries on the Gita? The poem by Russell inspires to know it indirectly. A poem it reminds us of Emerson's Brahma. What it is strange is this that he is very, very mystical. A few can grapple with in such a way as he has Eastern mysticism and spirituality. We doubt why was it the Nobel Prize not given to Russell. Krishna's gospels dance before the eyes, the discourses given with regard to the soul, indelible and indestructible soul. His lessons in karma and dharma are really unforgettable lessons of life. It is His Light which lights it all. Very lucid, transmuting it all, he keeps the matter running.

The picture of Elijah in Luke-Acts is complex. Elijah appears once as an independent story character (in Luke 9:30) in a scene together with Jesus. So Jesus cannot be an appearance of Elijah, as some people of the crowd suppose (9:8,19). All other times, the name of Elijah sounds from the mouth of story characters. John (the Baptist) is associated with Elijah a few times, explicitly in 1:17 and implicitly in 1:76 and 7:27, by authoritative persons (the angel Gabriel, the spirit-filled Zacharias and Jesus). So the reader has to listen carefully to what is said about John in relationship to Elijah. According to Jesus, John is the forerunner and preparer of the way of the Lord (= Jesus) in the way Malachi speaks (3:1). Here, Jesus identifies John with this messenger, i.e. Elijah, (see Mal 3:23 = 4:5). Also Jesus is associated with Elijah, explicitly in 4:25,26; 9:8,19 and implicitly in 7:11-17; 9:51-55 and 24:50-53 + Acts 1:1-11. But he is not associated with the Elijah figure of Malachi, but with the Elijah of 1 Kings 17 – 2 Kings 2. Sometimes there is an identification of Jesus with Elijah (7:15), another time Jesus does not resemble Elijah at all (9:54-55). The identification of John with Elijah of Malachi is greater than those of Jesus with the Elijah of the Book of Kings.

À Castel Sant'Elia, un village du Latium, à une soixantaine de kilomètres au nord de Rome, se trouve une basilique dédiée au prophète Élie, ce qui est bien inhabituel en Occident, qui vénère peu les saints du Premier Testament. Cette église a été construite en 1122-1126 pour une abbaye bénédictine dont l'origine remonte au vi e siècle. Elle fut fondée par Anastase, saint dont il est question dans les Dialogues de Grégoire le Grand (I,7,1 et 8,1), dans le poème De triumphis Christi de Flodoard de Reims (PL 135, 831B), au x e siècle. Cette basilique est un bel exemple de l'art roman, dans les environs de Rome. Elle conserve des pavements cosmatesques, des fresques du xii e siècle, dans l'abside et le transept. L'étude interdisciplinaire d'A. L. Perchuk sur ce monastère médiéval unit archéologie, épigraphie, histoire, liturgie et théologie. Divisée en sept chapitres présentés dès l'introduction, elle est menée avec une grande érudition. Le premier chapitre, Recovering the Romanesque Monastery, décrit l'église telle qu'elle existe aujourd'hui, puis analyse les documents médiévaux et modernes, examine la structure pour isoler les éléments authentiquement médiévaux des modifications de la Contre-Réforme et de celles du xix e siècle, dues au travail de restauration opéré par Virginio Vespignani, architecte du pape Pie IX. Le deuxième chapitre, Vetustum monasterium Sancti Heliae, montre comment les moines ont utilisé la peinture, l'épigraphie, l'architecture et la topographie pour relier leur monastère à leur fondateur saint Anastase. L'auteur considère aussi les activités de

Il monastero medievale di Sant’Elia: una storia in pittura e in pietra è la prima monografia interdisciplinare sull’ex-convento benedettino maschile di Castel Sant’Elia (Vt), rappresentato oggi dalla sua chiesa abbaziale, la basilica romanica di Sant’Elia. Uno dei pochissimi monasteri dedicato al profeta Elia di cui si abbia notizia nell'Occidente latino, fu ricostruito intorno al 1122-26 con il sostegno papale e conserva oggi ricche tracce artistiche di questo mecenatismo, ma la sua collocazione alla periferia di Roma e la perdita quasi totale del suo patrimonio documentario lo hanno lasciato in gran parte fuori dalla storiografia. Attraverso un’analisi storico-artistica arricchita da studi di archeologia, epigrafia, storia, liturgia, teologia e paesaggio, Alison Locke Perchuk restituisce al monastero la sua importanza storica, rivelandolo come il frutto di una prolungata meditazione sulla storia, l'identità e l'esegesi, messa al servizio del papato riformatore dell'inizio del XII secolo. Ed. or.: The Medieval Monastery of Saint Elijah: A History in Paint and Stone (Brepols 2021). https://www.srsp.it/index.php/prodotto/74-santelia/

This article asks how Jesus saw himself, and points to the figure of Elisha, a curiously neglected prophet who was of great importance for Jesus. Just as Elisha was the successor of Elijah, so Jesus saw himself as the successor of the Baptist who was identified by him as Elijah. Significantly, Jesus echoed the miracles of Elisha, as St John makes clear, and also echoed the lifestyle of Elisha in contrast to that of Elijah and the Baptist.

Aunque los contemplativos valoran la experiencia de silencio que conduce a un encuentro con la divinidad, raras veces se habla del opuesto: el silencio de Dios que conduce a un encuentro con la humanidad. Este artículo examina el ejemplo de un silencio divino positivo que posibilita tanto el encuentro como la comunicación con un ser humano. Sin embargo, primero hay que resolver una dificultad de traducción, y dar una explicación sobre por qué la tradicional "brisa suave" o "voz tenue" de la teofanía de Elías en 1 Reyes 19 es de hecho un "sonido de silencio", y cómo se podría entender el significado de este silencio divino. El artículo, entonces, desafía tanto la traducción convencional de un pasaje popular (1 R 19,12) como nuestro concepto teológico de lo que significa para Dios-y para nosotros-callar.
PALABRAS CLAVES: Silencio. Teofanía. Traducciones bíblicas. La escucha. Elías.

ABSTRACT: Although contemplatives value the experience of silence that leads to an encounter with the divine, rarely are the tables turned, with God’s silence described as leading to an encounter with humanity. This article examines one example of a positive divine silence that enables both encounter and communication with a human being. First, however, a thorny translation issue must be dealt with, and an explanation given for why the traditional “soft breeze” or “small voice” of Elijah’s theophany in 1 Kings 19 is actually a “sound of silence”, and how we might understand the significance of this divine silence. The article thus challenges both the conventional translation of a popular passage (1 Kings 19:12) and our theological conceptions of what it means for God – and for us – to be silent.
KEYWORDS: Silence. Theophany. Biblical Translations. Listening. Elijah.

This essay contributes to the ongoing debates concerning the history of redaction and transmission of Kings/Former Prophets/“Deuteronomistic History”/Enneateuch through an analysis of 1 Kings 18. In the earliest decades of the broad acceptance of Noth’s “Deuteronomistic History” idea, it was more common to consider the Elijah–Elisha prophet cycles as having been incorporated by a Deuteronomistic editor. It has now become more common to designate such stories, including 1 Kings 17–19, as post-Deuteronomistic additions. Yet a relevant question still remains: how did the editors who put the final touches on the book of Kings (whether we call them “Deuteronomists” or not) justify Elijah’s actions in 1 Kings 18, which appear to be at odds with the centralizing tendencies of 1 Kings 12–14 and other Deuteronomistic texts?
In this essay I consider the shortcomings of various traditional (presumed theological coherence) and critical (presumed composite text) explanations for the narrative of Elijah’s sacrifice (1 Kgs 18:20–40), and contends that satisfactory models of scribal transmission must account for 1) constraints of community memory and perceptions of historicity; and 2) intentional balancing of theological “risks and rewards” of including a narrative or its constituent elements. The prospect of incorporating 1 Kings 17–19 into the larger work entailed sufficient theological “rewards” greater than the “risks”—risks which were then creatively mitigated by the editors/redactors of Kings, yet within constraints of community memory.
I conclude by connecting the results to current debates about orality and literacy, “empirical” studies of textual development, and the criterion of “literary unity” in discerning layers of editing.

This is not an exhaustive list, merely a cursory list to show the degree of divine tutelage the Prophet Joseph Smith received to be able to head a Dispensation (become a Dispensation King). Unnamed angels at a meeting on January 21, 1836, and again many unnamed angels at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, March 27, 1836. Unnamed Angel cannot be counted without their identities known. Those who appear as different being in their missions through their Eternal Lives births here in this Creation, will be counted once for each life or their angelic name appearance. Satan, Lucifer, the Devil or such evil Neings are not counted.

In Tractate Megillah of the Babylonian Talmud, the Rabbis analyze
the practical politics of Esther’s strategic dealings with Ahasuerus
and Haman, asking why she invited Haman to the wine feast. The tractate offers useful political thinking, provides guidance to future Jewish struggles for survival, and makes Talmud Megillah 15b deserving of careful analysis as an early text in political science. The paper compares the rabbis' observations about Esther's actions to Machiavelli’s advice in The Prince. Their message speaks to challenges to Jewish life today.

Title: The Ten and More Recovery Miracles: Matthew 8:1-9:34
Abstract: This article deals with four issues in relation to Matthew 8:1-9:34. (1) The delimitation of the story unity. The story begins in 8:1 and not in 8:2 and ends in 9:34 and not in 9:35, resp. 9:38. (2) The context. I argue for 4:17-11:24, the first main part of the Gospel of Matthew, as the context of 8:1-9:34 (A 4:17 – B 4:18-22 – C 4:23-7:29 + C’ 8:1-9:34 – B’ 9:35-11:1 – A’ 11:2-24). (3) The structure. The arrangement of the story unit is difficult to determine. With some effort a triadic structure can be recognized: A 8:1-17 (three miracles) + B 8:18-22 (following Jesus), C 8:23-9:8 (three miracles) + B’ 9:9 (following Jesus) en A’ 9:10-34 (three/four miracles). (4) The coherence. Matthew is a narrative unit with a large number of smaller scenes. The main characteristic of the smaller scenes is that they relate a recovery miracle, performed by Jesus, who is moved with compassion, and brings about recovery, by speaking with authority and/or acting with power.

Dostoevsky's Elijah: Where Did It All Begin? This essay focuses on Poor Folk, White Nights and An Honest Thief. It was written by the typesetter for my edition of The Landlady as an afterword. It is his rebuttal to Yuri Marmeladov, who implied that Elijah first emerges in Dostoevsky's fiction in "Mr. Prokharchin" and The Landlady. The typesetter insisted that I keep his identity anonymous. I gladly agreed to include his essay because, after all, people in academia appreciate publications that are bulked up - much as they appreciate weightlifters who resemble the Incredible Hulk. Where, one might ask, do I stand in regard to the typesetter's ideas? I must say that in any argument between Yuri Marmeladov and the typesetter I occupy a position of absolute neutrality. However, I am posting the essay for cutting-edge scholars to carve up with their cutting edges. And, who knows, a few might even find points of interest. One never knows...

The fragment Sir. 48, 1–11 contains many textological and exegetical problems, that demand a special investigation. Also, the parallels in other books of the old and new Testament are important, where the prophet Elijah is mentioned directly or indirectly: 1 and 2 books of Kings, books of the prophets Malachiah and Isaiah, Gospel and Apocalypse. There is also an author’s translation of this fragment from the Hebrew version, that differs from the Synodal translation, that was made from the Greek version. Using the textological and exegetical methods the attempt was made to loose the difficult questions of the interpretation of the text Sir. 48, 1–11. Among the exegetical questions are examined the connections of this fragment with the previous text, with the prophecy from the book of Malachiah, the theme of reconciliation of fathers and sons within the context of the restoration of the connections of Israel and God, eschatological problems and problems of the book’s author about the future life. As a result of the investigation it was determined, that the image of the prophet Elijah war very important for the author of the book of Sirach and also in the intertestamental literature in general. In this fragment the close connection with the book of Malachiah can be followed. The image of Elijah runs all through the most part of the sacred history down to the apocalyptic events.

המאמר סוקר את שתי הגישות המרכזיות להבנת סיפורי אליהו, ובעקבותם - סיפורי אלישע. הראשונה, המוכרת יותר, היא שאליהו פעל על דעת עצמו, שלא בהתאמה לרצון ה', כאשר הבחירה באלישע באה להחליף את הנהגת אליהו. השניה, המוכרת פחות, שאליהו הוא שליח ה' הנאמן, הפועל לפי דברו, ואלישע בא להמשיך ולשכלל את ההנהגה הזאת. המאמר בוחן את המקורות השונים המסייעים ותומכים בכל שיטה, ומפתח ומבסס את הגישה השניה, תוך התייחסות למסר של הסיפור שעולה מתוך הגישה הזאת.
Abstract: The article reviews the two main approaches to understanding the Eliyahu narratives, and consequently the Elisha narratives. The first, more common approach, is that Eliyahu operated on his own accord, not in accordance with God's wiil. Respectively, selecting Elisha is meant as a way to substitute Eliyahu's policy. The second, less known approach, sees Eliyahu as God's loyal messanger, acting upon His word, while Elisha is brought in to continue and enhance this policy. The article analyzes the different sources supporting each approach, and develops, establishes and proves the second approach, including dealing with the message of the story that arises from this approach.

כמו מחברים רבים בימי הביניים, גם רמב"ן עדכן את פירושו לתורה לאורך הזמן. התוספות שהוסיף רמב"ן משקפים קטעי פירוש חדשים, המחזקים את שיטתו הפרשנית הראשונית, וכן תיקון הפירוש לאחר שרמב"ן חזר בו מסיבות שונות. בשנים האחרונות הודגשו במיוחד התוספות שהוסיף לפירושו בארץ ישראל, אולם  במספר מקומות רמב"ן מעיד גם על דברים שהתחדשו לו עוד בספרד.
אולם ישנו סוג נוסף של תוספות, שהרמב"ן אינו מעיד עליהן במפורש: ישנם מקרים שרמב"ן פירש פסוק או ביטוי כל שהוא בשלבים מוקדמים של פירושו לתורה ובשלבים מאוחרים שינה את דעתו, אך לא טרח לחזור ולשנות את פירושו הראשון. לאור זאת נוצרה סתירה בתוך החיבור הכולל. מאמר זה מתמקד בפירושו של רמב"ן לביטוי 'דרישת ה'' במקרא. מעקב אחר פירושיו השונים של רמב"ן מלמד על תמורות שחלו בדעתו בעניין זה בין פירושו לספר בראשית, שמות ודברים. אלא, שכאמור, רמב"ן לא חזר ותיקן את דבריו בספר בראשית, ואת הסתירה בין דבריו השונים יש להסביר באמצעות ההנחה שבמהלך השנים שבו כתב את פירושו את שינה את דעתו.

This article deals with the text of 1 Kgs 17:17–24 and its spatial structures, which shape the composition of the text as well as they mould the contents of the story. Its framework using changes of location can be found in others of the Bible’s narratives of awakening (cf. 2 Kgs 4:8–37; Acts 9:36–42), too. Arrangements of persons or things, spaces and the dynamics thereof are connected graphically and thus 1 Kgs 17:17–24 is examined more closely. A second step compares the text to Acts 20:7–12, which reverses the spacing and sets different priorities.

Korea's enhanced material capabilities and international standing are reflected also in its interactions with the Middle East that never has been as important to Korea as it is today. At the same time, the extensiveness and complexity of Korea-Middle East relations are not commonly appreciated in the public media or in people's minds. Indeed, the media coverage of this subject is sparse, even in Korea. In a way, such disregard of the once-important Islamic civilization is a phenomenon throughout East Asia, which is also linked to the political-economic and ideological problems of the Middle East today: military conflicts, overpopulation, marginalization of religion for political purposes, etc. Nevertheless, we must not judge the past or the future from the today's perspective, taking into account former cultural and historical ties between Korea and the Islamic civilization from the middle of the ninth till the sixteenth century. One of the most interesting pieces of evidence in this regard is the ancient Muslim itineraries to which certain research by Korean scholars has been dedicated, yet it has not become sufficiently popular internationally and calls for further serious study and analysis, considering the specific features of these itineraries, their religious and didactic context and origination of evaluation of other cultures in the medieval Islamic civilization's stereotypes of the world and its population.

In this article I  enter into a discussion with Bob Beckings' interpretation of the raising of the son of the Shunammite in 2 Kings 4:32-35. In the second round I dispute his interpretation of the story of the Poor Man of Nippur.. In the third round I go more deeply into his criticism against my interpretation of 2 Kings 4:32-35 leverde.  And I end my reply with some remarks on our methods.

Title: How a Young Person Comes Back to Life: A Close Reading of 2 Kings 4:32-35. Abstract: The central question of this paper is how a reader should understand the resurrection ritual performed by Elisha. In doing so, I focus on the ‘crouching’ (גהר) in 2 Kings 4,34 and 35. I see it as a form of ‘making oneself small’, as Elijah did earlier (1 Kings 18:42). The ritual has an ambiguous character. Verses 34 and 35 contain a sexual undertone. The thesis I am defending is that the gap that exists between 2 Kings 4:16 and 17 – the reader is not told who is responsible for the conception of the son – is filled in 4:32-35. 2 Kings 4:32-34 tells the story of the raising of a dead son, and underlying that the story of the begetting of the son.

This paper consisting of more than 300 stories, demonstrates how the Sages used Talmudic narratives as a tool to teach humanity about ethics and morality. The stories are designed to instruct us to hear "the silent cry of the afflicted, the lonely and marginal, the poor, the sick and the disempowered, and to respond." (Sacks, 2005, p. 83). These stories may deal with God, Elijah the Prophet, Biblical figures such as Abraham and Moses, Satan, animals, and nature.

Scholars present themes of faith and prayer that are linked with Elijah and with the Land of Israel. The publication of these essays provides a context for re-issuing my study of “Elijah the Peacemaker- Jewish and Early Christian Interpretations of Malachi 3:23-24”, which appeared in the SIDIC Review, edited by the Sisters of Sion in Rome.

The other essays in this issue (XVII no. 2, 1984) include: Nello Pavoncello, “The Prophet Elijah in Jewish Liturgy;” Editors of SIDIC, “Gleaning- The Prophet Elijah;” M. J. Stiassny, “Elijah in Kabbalah and Mysticism;” Michel De Goedt, “Elijah- A Victorious, Persecuted, Discouraged Prophet- First of a Long Line (1 Kings 17-19).”