Muhraqa

Elijah – Prophet, and a Butcher

In the 9^th century BCE King Ahab married the Phoenician princess Jezebel, and she promoted Pagan worship in Israel. In response, Elijah called Ahab to summon 450 Ba’al prophets on mount Carmel, where a bull sacrifice was prepared.  Elijah than challenged the Ba’al prophets to call their god to cause a fire that will consume the sacrifice:

“Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered…

²⁷ At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” ²⁸ So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. ²⁹ Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

In the afternoon Elijah repaired the altar, and then called to Jehovah –

Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

And indeed, God responded –

³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

³⁹ When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

^{Triumphant, Elijah went further –}

⁴⁰ Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.  (1 King 18)

Elijah’s Missing Hand

In 1914 The Carmelites placed a sculpture of Elijah in the monastery’s main courtyard. During the First World War it was vandalized by Ottoman soldiers and left without one of its hands. Local tradition than claimed that the hand was chopped off by Napoleon in 1799, or by Qawuqji in 1948. They were told they would be defeated in battle if they don’t break off Elijah’s hand. However, the sculpture was later replaced, and the new sculpture shows Elijah, slaughtering a Ba’al prophet, with both hands.