A Popular Dictionary of Judaism
Biblical (9th Century BCE) *prophet. According to I *Kings 17f, Elijah prophesied in the *Northern Kingdom in the reigns of King Ahab and Azariah. Ahab’s wife Jezabel had encouraged the worship of *Baal and Asherah. Elijah declared that *God had sent a drought in punishment and subsequently staged a trial of strength between Baal and the God of *Israel.
According to II Kings 2, Elijah never died, but was taken up to *Heaven in a fiery chariot. From this the belief arose that he would return to earth ‘before the great and terrible *Day of the Lord’ (*Malachi 4:5). The *sages taught that Elijah would be the herald of the *messiah. As he would return at *Passover time a place is laid for him at the *seder table and a cup of wine is reserved for him. Similarly a *chair for Elijah is placed at the *circumcision ceremony.
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