Prophets and Prophecy Final
Elijah (1 Kings 17-19, 21; 2 Kings 2:11-12) - answersElijah tells Ahab that there will be a
drought. God tells Elijah to hide himself in the Brook of Cherith where he should drink of
the brook and be fed by ravens. When the brook dries up, Elijah is told to go to
Zarephath to meet a widow who will feed him. The woman only had a little flour and oil,
but Elijah said that until the rain comes again, that the flour and oil will not run out. Soon
the widow's son dies, and Elijah resurrects him. God tells Elijah to reveal himself to
Ahab. His servant Obadiah is met by Elijah and told to tell Ahab to meet Elijah. Although
he is fearful, he agrees and Ahab meets Elijah. Elijah tells Ahab to gather all the
prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel where he challenged them to ask their
gods to show themselves through fire. They are unable to get their gods to send fire, but
Elijah calls on Yahweh and a fire came down to consume the burnt offering that he
presented. So Elijah had all the prophets of Baal seized and killed. Afterwards, the Lord
finally sends rain, and Ahab goes back to Jezreel and tells Jezebel of all that Elijah had
done. And Elijah, fearful of Jezebel, went into the wilderness and hid under a broom
tree where he asked for God to take his life. But God gave him food and prepared him
for his journey to Mount Horeb where he saw the Lord pass by him as he hid in a cave.
God then tells him to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as king over Israel, and
Elisha as the prophet in his place. So Elijah goes and cast his cloak upon Elisha. After
sacrificing some oxen, he goes to follow Elijah. Naboth has a vineyard near King Ahab's
palace. Ahab wants the garden, but Naboth says that he cannot give him the
inheritance of his fathers. Ahab tells this to Jezebel and she schemes to get Naboth
killed. He gets stoned to death and Ahab takes possession over the vineyard. But
Omride Dynasty (stronger than reflected in Biblical Texts) - answersOmri was a very
powerful king of the Northern Kingdom though the bible doesn't give him much attention
at all. Omri→Ahab (strong rule for 22 years)→Ahaziah→Jehoram
How do Neo-Assyrian texts refer to the Omri's? - answersAs the "House of Omri"
,What does the Moabite Stone (Mesha Stele) refer to? - answersRefers to Omri
"humbling Moab for many years." Also has the oldest inscription of the name YHWH
Ahab's major contribution to the Battle of Qarqar (853 BCE) - answersPart of an anti-
Assyrian military coalition of 12 kings for a battle at Qarqar; Ahab contributed 2,000
chariots and 10,000 troops
Ahab & Jezebel's support of Canaanite worship (Baal & Asherah) (1 Kings 16, 18) -
answersAhab erects temple and altar to Baal and makes an Asherah (image). He also
marries Jezebel who killed Yahwistic prophets and paid the salaries of 450 prophets of
Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah "who eat at Jezebel's table."
Kuntillet Ajrud - answersShows syncretistic/non-centralized worship w/ Yahweh &
asherah. It reads "I bless you by Yahweh of Samaria and his asherah"
Courageous Obadiah - answersHe his persecuted prophets of Yahweh during the reign
of King Ahab
Elijah's miraculous life (genre of hagiography; miracles as evidence of extra validation of
prophetic status) - answers•Famine/Fed by ravens or angels [1 Kings 17:1-7]
•Controls the weather [1 Kings 18:41-45]
•Multiplies food of widow woman from Phoenicia [1 Kings 17:8-16]
•Raises her dead son to life [1 Kings 17:17-24]
•Runs marathon at incredible speeds [1 Kings 18:46]
•At the end of his life, he is carried up to heaven in a whirlwind with a chariot of fire and
horses of fire [2 Kings 2:11-12]
Mt. Carmel episode (1 Kings 18:20-40) - answersThe contest was about whether your
deity could send fire. It was Elijah against 850 prophets Canaanite prophets. Cf.
bloodletting in 1 Kings 18:28 with Nissinen Text #122 "my brothers bathe in their blood
like prophets."
Theophany on Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19:8ff) - answersWhile Elijah was on Mount Horeb,
God passed by him and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces
the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an
earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but
the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
Elijah as the New Moses - answers•Both have theophanies on Mount Sinai/Mount
Horeb
•People had turned to foreign gods (Baal and golden calf)
•Elijah parts the Jordan (Moses split the sea)
•Both have minister assistant (Elisha/Joshua)
•Both seem to have fasted
•Both find shelter in a cave/cleft of rock
, Still small voice? (1 Kings 19:11-12) - answersNot in powerful wind, not in earthquake,
not in fire, but in "a still small voice." Yahweh reaffirming the fact that there are still
people who do not worship Baal; more emphasis on the voice of God, with prophets
being the key in interpreting and conveying the voice of God.
Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21) - answersoProperty=land held in stewardship not
ownership ("the heritage/inheritance of my fathers." Naboth was saying that he couldn't
sell it even if he wanted to; it belonged to his fore-fathers)
oThe wielding of power by Jezebel
oProphetic stand against injustice and abuse of power by Elijah because Naboth was
falsely killed for the vineyard
oAn adjustment to the Ahab prophecy (Originals can be modified and revised into a
revision of the original)
Elijah's Ascension (2 Kings 2:1-18) - answers11 And as they still went on and talked,
behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up
by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, "My father, my father!
The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw him no more.
Elisha (2 Kings 2-9; 13:14-21) - answersExample of prophetic succession. Elisha had a
miraculous life (which was written in the genre of hagiography):
•Music induced trance? [2 Kings 3:15]
•Multiplying jars of oil [2 Kings 4:1-7]
•The Shunammite woman and her son [2 Kings 4:8-37]
•Spoiled/poisonous food made edible
•Cleans water supply with salt [2 Kings 2:19-22]
•Provides abundant water for military campaign [3:9-20]
•Multiplies food [2 Kings 4:42-44]
•Cures leprosy of Naaman the Syrian general [2 Kings 5]
•Iron axe head floating [2 Kings 6:1-7]
•Cloaked Chariots of Fire [2 Kings 6:16-17]
•Elisha and king making [2 Kings 9:1-10]
•Elisha as "baldy" "lethal holiness" [2 Kings 2:23-25]
•Elisha's bones [2 Kings 13:14-21]
The Story of the Shunammite's Son [2 Kings 4] - answersHospitality to the Revered:
"holy man of God"; resurrects a dead child
Elisha cures the leprosy of Naaman the Syrian General [2 Kings 5] - answersNaaman
acquires leprosy; he captured a slave girl from Israel. Royal diplomatic correspondence,
and the king questions if he can heal. Elisha tells Naaman to bathe in the Jordan river 7
times, but Naaman questions why he can't just heal him at the moment. The slave girl
tells him to humble himself, and he obeys Elisha. He is healed, becomes a Yahweh
believer, and asks Elisha for Judean dirt to take back with him (mentality that gods are
tied to land)
Elijah (1 Kings 17-19, 21; 2 Kings 2:11-12) - answersElijah tells Ahab that there will be a
drought. God tells Elijah to hide himself in the Brook of Cherith where he should drink of
the brook and be fed by ravens. When the brook dries up, Elijah is told to go to
Zarephath to meet a widow who will feed him. The woman only had a little flour and oil,
but Elijah said that until the rain comes again, that the flour and oil will not run out. Soon
the widow's son dies, and Elijah resurrects him. God tells Elijah to reveal himself to
Ahab. His servant Obadiah is met by Elijah and told to tell Ahab to meet Elijah. Although
he is fearful, he agrees and Ahab meets Elijah. Elijah tells Ahab to gather all the
prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel where he challenged them to ask their
gods to show themselves through fire. They are unable to get their gods to send fire, but
Elijah calls on Yahweh and a fire came down to consume the burnt offering that he
presented. So Elijah had all the prophets of Baal seized and killed. Afterwards, the Lord
finally sends rain, and Ahab goes back to Jezreel and tells Jezebel of all that Elijah had
done. And Elijah, fearful of Jezebel, went into the wilderness and hid under a broom
tree where he asked for God to take his life. But God gave him food and prepared him
for his journey to Mount Horeb where he saw the Lord pass by him as he hid in a cave.
God then tells him to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as king over Israel, and
Elisha as the prophet in his place. So Elijah goes and cast his cloak upon Elisha. After
sacrificing some oxen, he goes to follow Elijah. Naboth has a vineyard near King Ahab's
palace. Ahab wants the garden, but Naboth says that he cannot give him the
inheritance of his fathers. Ahab tells this to Jezebel and she schemes to get Naboth
killed. He gets stoned to death and Ahab takes possession over the vineyard. But
Omride Dynasty (stronger than reflected in Biblical Texts) - answersOmri was a very
powerful king of the Northern Kingdom though the bible doesn't give him much attention
at all. Omri→Ahab (strong rule for 22 years)→Ahaziah→Jehoram
How do Neo-Assyrian texts refer to the Omri's? - answersAs the "House of Omri"
,What does the Moabite Stone (Mesha Stele) refer to? - answersRefers to Omri
"humbling Moab for many years." Also has the oldest inscription of the name YHWH
Ahab's major contribution to the Battle of Qarqar (853 BCE) - answersPart of an anti-
Assyrian military coalition of 12 kings for a battle at Qarqar; Ahab contributed 2,000
chariots and 10,000 troops
Ahab & Jezebel's support of Canaanite worship (Baal & Asherah) (1 Kings 16, 18) -
answersAhab erects temple and altar to Baal and makes an Asherah (image). He also
marries Jezebel who killed Yahwistic prophets and paid the salaries of 450 prophets of
Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah "who eat at Jezebel's table."
Kuntillet Ajrud - answersShows syncretistic/non-centralized worship w/ Yahweh &
asherah. It reads "I bless you by Yahweh of Samaria and his asherah"
Courageous Obadiah - answersHe his persecuted prophets of Yahweh during the reign
of King Ahab
Elijah's miraculous life (genre of hagiography; miracles as evidence of extra validation of
prophetic status) - answers•Famine/Fed by ravens or angels [1 Kings 17:1-7]
•Controls the weather [1 Kings 18:41-45]
•Multiplies food of widow woman from Phoenicia [1 Kings 17:8-16]
•Raises her dead son to life [1 Kings 17:17-24]
•Runs marathon at incredible speeds [1 Kings 18:46]
•At the end of his life, he is carried up to heaven in a whirlwind with a chariot of fire and
horses of fire [2 Kings 2:11-12]
Mt. Carmel episode (1 Kings 18:20-40) - answersThe contest was about whether your
deity could send fire. It was Elijah against 850 prophets Canaanite prophets. Cf.
bloodletting in 1 Kings 18:28 with Nissinen Text #122 "my brothers bathe in their blood
like prophets."
Theophany on Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19:8ff) - answersWhile Elijah was on Mount Horeb,
God passed by him and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces
the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an
earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but
the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.
Elijah as the New Moses - answers•Both have theophanies on Mount Sinai/Mount
Horeb
•People had turned to foreign gods (Baal and golden calf)
•Elijah parts the Jordan (Moses split the sea)
•Both have minister assistant (Elisha/Joshua)
•Both seem to have fasted
•Both find shelter in a cave/cleft of rock
, Still small voice? (1 Kings 19:11-12) - answersNot in powerful wind, not in earthquake,
not in fire, but in "a still small voice." Yahweh reaffirming the fact that there are still
people who do not worship Baal; more emphasis on the voice of God, with prophets
being the key in interpreting and conveying the voice of God.
Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21) - answersoProperty=land held in stewardship not
ownership ("the heritage/inheritance of my fathers." Naboth was saying that he couldn't
sell it even if he wanted to; it belonged to his fore-fathers)
oThe wielding of power by Jezebel
oProphetic stand against injustice and abuse of power by Elijah because Naboth was
falsely killed for the vineyard
oAn adjustment to the Ahab prophecy (Originals can be modified and revised into a
revision of the original)
Elijah's Ascension (2 Kings 2:1-18) - answers11 And as they still went on and talked,
behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up
by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, "My father, my father!
The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw him no more.
Elisha (2 Kings 2-9; 13:14-21) - answersExample of prophetic succession. Elisha had a
miraculous life (which was written in the genre of hagiography):
•Music induced trance? [2 Kings 3:15]
•Multiplying jars of oil [2 Kings 4:1-7]
•The Shunammite woman and her son [2 Kings 4:8-37]
•Spoiled/poisonous food made edible
•Cleans water supply with salt [2 Kings 2:19-22]
•Provides abundant water for military campaign [3:9-20]
•Multiplies food [2 Kings 4:42-44]
•Cures leprosy of Naaman the Syrian general [2 Kings 5]
•Iron axe head floating [2 Kings 6:1-7]
•Cloaked Chariots of Fire [2 Kings 6:16-17]
•Elisha and king making [2 Kings 9:1-10]
•Elisha as "baldy" "lethal holiness" [2 Kings 2:23-25]
•Elisha's bones [2 Kings 13:14-21]
The Story of the Shunammite's Son [2 Kings 4] - answersHospitality to the Revered:
"holy man of God"; resurrects a dead child
Elisha cures the leprosy of Naaman the Syrian General [2 Kings 5] - answersNaaman
acquires leprosy; he captured a slave girl from Israel. Royal diplomatic correspondence,
and the king questions if he can heal. Elisha tells Naaman to bathe in the Jordan river 7
times, but Naaman questions why he can't just heal him at the moment. The slave girl
tells him to humble himself, and he obeys Elisha. He is healed, becomes a Yahweh
believer, and asks Elisha for Judean dirt to take back with him (mentality that gods are
tied to land)
