Orthodox · 9th century BC
Holy Glorious Prophet Elijah
Commemorated: August 2 (July 20, Old Style)
Life
Elijah the Tishbite was a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in the ninth century BC, in the reign of King Ahab and his queen Jezebel, who promoted the worship of Baal. The First Book of Kings tells that he announced a drought, that he challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel, and that he fled from Jezebel’s anger to Mount Horeb, where he heard “a still small voice”. He anointed Elisha as his successor.
According to the Second Book of Kings, Elijah did not die as others do: Elisha saw him taken up into heaven in a whirlwind, with a chariot and horses of fire. He is honoured in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and the Gospels show him with Moses at Jesus’s transfiguration.
Places
- Place of death: Jericho
The commemorations of the day: Ponomar (ponomar.net), CC BY-SA 3.0.
Places and years: Wikidata (CC0), each saint matched by hand.