Towards the sea is a cave, where it has been supposed that Elijah desired Ahab to bring Baal’s false prophets, and where fire from heaven descended on the altar he erected.  The present appearance of Carmel is thus described by Dr. Hogg, who visited it in 1833.  “The convent on Mount Carmel was destroyed by the Turks in the early part of the Greek revolution.  Abdallah, the Turkish pasha, who commanded the district in which Carmel is situated, not only razed their convent to the ground, but blew up the foundations, and carried the materials to Acre for his own use.  The convent is now being rebuilt, or probably is now completely finished, the funds having been supplied by subscriptions solicited all over Europe, and a great part of the East, by one of the brethren, Giovanni Battista, who has travelled far and wide for that purpose.”  Dr. Hogg gives the following account of the condition of the place at the time of his visit.

“The whole fabric is of stone, and, when completed, will possess the solidity of a fortress.  The first story only is at present finished, and hereafter will be solely appropriated to the accommodation of travellers, when another, to be raised above, will be exclusively devoted to permanent inmates.  In the centre a spacious church has been commenced, and already promises to be a fine building.  The principal altar will be placed over the cave so long held sacred as the retreat of the prophet.  This natural cavern exhibits at its farther extremity some signs of having been enlarged by art.  When the edifice above is complete, it will be converted into a chapel; and a projecting ledge of rock, believed to have been the sleeping-place of the prophet, will then be the altar.  The superior himself kindly conducted me to see one of the celebrated caves which everywhere abound in the district of Mount Carmel.  Descending two thirds of the mountain by a narrow path, scooped in the rock, we entered an enclosure of fig-trees and vines, where several caverns, that of old belonged to the Carmelites, are now inhabited by a Mohammedan saint and his numerous progeny.  We first entered a lofty excavation of beautiful proportions, at least fifty feet long, with a large recess on one side,—­every part chiselled with the nicest care, and inscribed with numerous Greek initials, names, and sentences.  Here Elijah is believed to have taught his disciples, and hence its name, ‘the school of the prophets.’  Some smaller adjoining caverns, fronted with masonry, now form the residence of the saint and his family.  A deep cistern for the preservation of water has been hewn in the rock, and the entrance is closed by a gate shaded inside by vines.

“The memory of Elijah is equally venerated by Christians and Moslems; and the votaries of each faith are liberally allowed access to the several caves.  At the time of our visit the general appearance of Mount Carmel was dry and sterile; but the superior assured us that in spring it was clothed in verdure and beauty.”