Elijah << ih LY juh >> was an Israelite prophet who lived in the 800’s B.C. Much information about him appears in I and II Kings of the Old Testament. Elijah is also mentioned 29 times in the New Testament.
Elijah was born in Tishbe in what was then northern Israel. He gained fame as a miracle worker. For example, he miraculously increased the scarce supply of food for a poor widow (I Kings 17:8-16) and brought the widow’s dead son back to life (I Kings 17:17-24). Elijah also used his powers to prove the greatness of God. He opposed King Ahab and his wife Queen Jezebel because they abandoned the covenant (agreement) with their God and supported the worship of the heathen god Baal. Elijah won a contest on Mount Carmel against the prophets of Baal, convincing the people of Israel of the superiority of their God (I Kings 18:17-39). Just before his death, Elijah transferred his role as a prophet to his disciple Elisha, and then ascended to heaven in a whirlwind (II Kings 2:1-15). Later references to Elijah in the Bible mention or suggest that he will return to announce the coming of the Messiah.
