Elijah

== Controversies ==
=== Miracle of the ravens ===
[[File:Lanfranco Elie nourri par le corbeau.jpg|thumb|left|''Elijah fed by the ravens'', by [[Giovanni Lanfranco]], [[Musée des beaux-arts de Marseille]]]]

That ravens fed Elijah by the brook [[Chorath]] has been questioned. The Hebrew text at 1 Kings 17:4–6 uses the word {{lang|he|עֹרְבִים}} ''`ōrvīm'', which means ''ravens'', but with a different vocalization might equally mean ''Arabs''. The [[Septuagint]] has {{lang|grc|κορακες}}, ''ravens'', and other traditional translations followed.

Alternatives have been proposed for many years; for example [[Adam Clarke]] (d. 1832) treated it as a discussion already of long standing.<ref>[[Adam Clarke|Clarke, Adam]]. The Holy Bible ... with a Commentary and Critical Notes, Volume II, London 1836</ref> Objections to the traditional translation are that ravens are ritually unclean<ref>see {{Bibleverse||Leviticus|11:13–17|HE}}</ref> 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."<ref>Gray, John. Old Testament Library, I & II Kings, SCM Press, London, 1964</ref> His translation of the verses in question is:

<blockquote>And the word of YHWH came to Elijah saying, Go hence and turn eastward and hide thyself in the Wadi Chorath 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 YHWH and went and dwelt in the Wadi Chorath 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.</blockquote>

===Fire on Mount Carmel===
The challenge to the priests of Baal had the two-fold purpose of demonstrating that the God of Israel was greater than Baal, and that it was he who was the giver of rain. According to J. Robinson, "Some scholars have suggested that the pouring of water was a piece of [[sympathetic magic]]."<ref name=Robinson>[https://books.google.com/books?id=GfagN_c7kHoC&dq=Elijah+and+naphtha&pg=PA212 Robinson, J. and Robinson, Joseph. ''The First Book of Kings'', Cambridge University Press, 1972, p. 212]{{ISBN|9780521097345}}</ref>

[[Hugo Gressmann]] suggested that the fire that destroyed the offering and altar was lightning, while [[Ferdinand Hitzig]] and others<ref>{{citation-attribution|1=[https://books.google.com/books?id=d-1XAAAAIAAJ&dq=Elijah+and+naphtha&pg=PA284 Balkwill, F.H. "the Sacred Fire of Israel", ''The Twentieth Century'', Volume 60, 1906, p. 277]}}</ref> thought the water poured on the sacrifice and into the ditch might have been flammable [[naphtha]]. Baptist scholar [[H. H. Rowley]] rejects both views.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:1m2856&datastreamId=POST-PEER-REVIEW-PUBLISHERS-DOCUMENT.PDF| title = Rowley, H.H., "Elijah on Mount Carmel", p. 210 et seq., The John Rylands Library, University of Manchester}}</ref> Robinson dismisses the suggestion of naphtha with the view that the priests of Baal would have been aware of the properties of naphtha.<ref name=Robinson/> [[Julian Morgenstern]] rejects the idea of sympathetic magic, but supports the interpretation of white naphtha possibly ignited by a glass or mirror to focus the sun's rays, citing other mentions of sacred fire, as in 2 Maccabees 1:18–22.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=otEUAAAAIAAJ&dq=Elijah+and+naphtha&pg=PA65| title = Morgenstern, Julian. ''The Fire Upon the Altar'', Brill Archive, 1963, p. 65| last1 = Easley| first1 = Gene| date = June 1994}}</ref>

=== Ascension into the heavens ===
Elijah's name typically occurs in [[Entering heaven alive#Judaism|Jewish lists of those who have entered heaven alive]].

In the [[Gospel of John]], Jesus says: "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, [''even''] the Son of man which is in heaven."<ref>{{bibleverse||John|3|13}}</ref> Traditionally Christianity interprets the [[Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament#Son of man|"Son of Man"]] as a title of Jesus, but this has never been an article of faith and there are other interpretations. Further interpreting this quote, some Christians believe that Elijah was not assumed into heaven but simply transferred to another assignment either in heaven<ref name="djytel">{{cite web |last=Coram |first=James |series=biblical studies |title=The Fate of Enoch and Elijah |publisher=Concordant Publishing Concern |url=http://www.concordant.org/expohtml/GeneralExpositions/EnochAndElijah.html |access-date=4 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522142440/http://www.concordant.org/expohtml/GeneralExpositions/EnochAndElijah.html |archive-date=22 May 2013}}</ref> or with [[Jehoram of Judah|King Jehoram of Judah]].<ref name = "djytel"/>

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 Chronicles 21:12 after Elijah had ascended. Some have suggested that the letter was written before Elijah ascended, but only delivered later.<ref>Bromiley ''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: E–J'' p. 55</ref> The rabbinical [[Seder Olam Rabbah|Seder Olam]] explains that the letter was delivered seven years after his ascension.<ref>Aryeh Kaplan ''The handbook of Jewish thought'', Volume 1 1992 p. 116 "This was seven years after Elijah's death; [[Seder Olam Rabbah]] 17.25"</ref> This is also a possible explanation for some variation in manuscripts of [[Josephus]]' ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'' when dealing with this issue.<ref>Begg C. ''Josephus' story of the later monarchy: (AJ 9, 1–10, 185)'' Section "Elijah's Letter" p.119</ref> Others have argued that Elijah was only "caught away" such as Philip in Acts 8{{efn|"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&nbsp;miles,<ref>{{bibleverse| |Acts|8|39,40}}</ref>) for an unspecified purpose and returned to the earth. Consider the evidence:<br/>1. Elijah had been taken to heaven in a whirlwind.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|2|11}}</ref><br/>2. Elisha had taken over the duties of Elijah in the reign of Jehoshaphat.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|3|10,11}}</ref><br/>3. Jehoram received a letter from Elijah, the prophet.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Chron|21|1,9–12}}</ref> King Jehoram reigned after Jehoshaphat.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Chron|21|1}})</ref><ref>Ron Abel ''Wrested Scriptures'' {{full citation needed|date=July 2020}}</ref>}} [[John Lightfoot]] reasoned that it must have been a different Elijah.<ref>Barrett Richard A.F. ''A synopsis of criticisms upon those passages'', Volume 3, Part 1, p. 234 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"</ref>

=== Return ===
The Jewish nation awaits the coming of Elijah to precede the coming of the Messiah. 

For Christians this prophecy was fulfilled in the gospel. After Elijah appears during the Transfiguration alongside Moses, Jesus explains to his disciples that John the Baptist, recently beheaded by Herod Antipas,<ref>{{Bibleverse||Matthew|14:9–12|9}}</ref> had been Elijah reincarnate.<ref>{{Bibleverse||Matthew|17:9–13|9}}</ref> Commentators have said that Moses' appearance represented the law, while Elijah's appearance represented the prophets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lastdays-eschatology.net/Elijah-the-prophet.html|title=Elijah the prophet|website=lastdays-eschatology.net|access-date=25 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325234031/http://www.lastdays-eschatology.net/Elijah-the-prophet.html|archive-date=25 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] believes that Elijah returned on 3 April 1836 in an appearance to [[Joseph Smith]] and Oliver Cowdery, fulfilling the prophecy in Malachi.

The [[Baháʼí Faith]] believes Elijah returned as the [[biblical]] [[prophet]] [[John the Baptist]] and as the [[Báb]] who founded the [[Bábí]] Faith in 1844.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/GPB/gpb-5.html#pg57 |title=Baháʼí Reference Library – God Passes By |pages= 49–60 |publisher=Reference.bahai.org |date=31 December 2010 | access-date=5 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/je/BNE/bne-18.html |title=Baháʼí Reference Library – Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era |pages= 15–16 |publisher=Reference.bahai.org |date=31 December 2010 | access-date=5 March 2014}}</ref> Druze, like [[Baháʼí Faith]] believes, believe that Elijah came back as [[John the Baptist]],<ref name="Swayd 2015 77" /><ref name="Bennett 2010 77"/>

The American founded [[Nation of Islam]] believes Elijah returned as [[Elijah Muhammad]], [[black separatist]] religious leader (who claimed to be a "messenger", not a prophet). This is considered less important than their belief that Allah himself showed up in the person of [[Fard Muhammad]], the founder of the group. It differs notably from most beliefs about Elijah, in that his re-appearance is usually the precursor to a greater one's appearance, rather than an afterthought.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Debate between NOI member and I | url=http://www.angelfire.com/ny/dawahpage/noi.html | access-date=8 February 2017 | quote="I say, we don't call the Honorable Elijah Muhammad a Prophet. We recognize Prophet Muhammad, of 1400 years ago as the Last Prophet of Allah. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad is Allah's Last and Greatest Messenger to we, the Black man and woman in America."}}</ref>