THE ASSYRIAN INVASION AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEN TRIBES OF ISRAEL (885-721)
'Shock troops', who hurled themselves into battle, are called by the Scripture 'the prophets'
Spiritual Policy: The Emergence Of Prophetism, EliYah
From the point of view of material civilization, therefore, all seemed to be going well.
On the other hand everything seemed to go increasingly badly for Yahwism. It might well be wondered at this moment of history if in a short time the altars of the Phoenician Baal and those of his companion, the licentious Astarte, would not prevail over the worship of YAHWEH the one Sovereign Ruler.
In Yisrael, Jezebel, Ahab's wife, boldly organized the worship of idols in the land of her adoption, and the sexual rites of the 'high places' began to flourish on the hill shaded by terebinths and green trees. In Yahudah the same process occurred under the influence of Athaliah, Jezebel's daughter. Generally speaking, the kings, while remaining officially attached to the religion of YAHWEH, through weakness or indifference encouraged the pagan revival. And the populace who in the bottom of their hearts had always retained an attachment for the orgiastic rites, soon returned to practices of primitive Semitic origin. The very existence of Yahwism was in great danger.
But suddenly a reaction occurred that was both unexpected and fierce. The defense of YAHWEH the one Sovereign Ruler was taken in hand by men whose smallness in numbers was balanced by the vigour of their counterattack. These 'shock troops', who thus hurled themselves into battle, are called by the Scripture 'the prophets'.
Generally, the prophet appeared to be very surprised, terrified sometimes, by the mission entrusted to him. Very often he argued and struggled against it.
His was no easy task. To the kings he had to denounce the selfishness of the wealthy classes and the most flagrant social abuses. On occasion, the man of YAHWEH was required to oppose the policy adopted by the king himself. The prophet also had to tell the kohens that the Law of Mosheh was something more than the meticulous observance of the sacrificial liturgy. The people had to be warned away from the high places where Molech and Astarte were worshipped alongside the altar of YAHWEH.
The four principal prophets in the northern kingdom before the destruction of the tribes were EliYah, Elisha, Amos and Hosea
The Prophet EliYah
In about 860, towards the end of the reign of Ahab, the son and successor of Omri, there suddenly appeared the first prophet of the long line of YAHWEH's spokesmen.
It has already been pointed out above that at this period the position of Yahwism was somewhat precarious: Jezebel, the king of Yisrael's Phoenician wife, had introduced into the kingdom the worship and priests of her gods. On the other hand YAHWEH's altars were systematically destroyed (I Melechim 18:30) and kohens preaching the doctrine of Mosheh were put to death.
EliYah was a rough, violent man, as was needed in the circumstances. Clothed in a woolen mantle held at the waist by a leather belt he led a wandering existence, except during periods of meditation when he hid himself away in some wild part of the country (1 Melechim 17:3-4).
We possess no biography of EliYah in the modern sense of the word; we have merely a chronicle of his achievements. In addition, for the strictly historical details the writer refers us to the 'Book of the Annals of the Kings of Yisrael', a well-known work of the period which, unfortunately, has not survived. So far as documentary sources are concerned we are reduced, then, to a popular account in which are jumbled together anecdotal accounts of miracles and outstanding events. All this, as is obvious, belongs not to history in the strict sense of the term but to the epic. This literary formula does not however prevent our arriving, at least occasionally, at certain valid conclusions of the greatest interest.
The text that we have presents three distinct episodes: the 'duel', of a very odd nature, arranged between EliYah and the 450 'prophets of Baal', to discover who was the true Sovereign Ruler of Yisrael; EliYah's mysterious journey to Sinai; and the dramatic encounter between Ahab and EliYah in Naboth's vineyard.
Jezebel, taking advantage of her husband Ahab's spiritual indifference, as we have just seen, started a merciless campaign against Yahwism. In answer to this persecution EliYah went to Ahab and, in the name of YAHWEH the Sovereign Ruler, told him that there would be a terrible drought for three years in succession over the whole land.
EliYah, the Widow and the prophets of Baal
While this calamity lasted (1 Melechim 17-18) EliYah went to hide himself -as was only prudent -first in TransYardenia and then in the land of Sidon. There he took refuge in the hovel of a poor widow and while he was there performed many miracles. Thus throughout his stay and as long as the famine resulting from the drought lasted, the widow's jug of oil was never exhausted nor the jar, in which at this period it was customary to keep meal, and this despite daily recourse to both. In addition, in dramatic circumstances, EliYah raised the widow's son from the dead.
After this period of three years the prophet presented himself before Ahab. There was a somewhat bitter exchange. EliYah then proposed to Ahab a curious experiment to demonstrate publicly who was the real Almighty Sovereign Ruler of Yisrael, whether it was Molech or YAHWEH. For this purpose the king called together the 'four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal' on Carmel where two altars were put up -one for Baal the Phoenician, the other for YAHWEH. After this Molech was to be asked to set alight the wood prepared for the holocaust. If the Phoenician god did not answer EliYah would then call on YAHWEH to send fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice. The test would show which god was the real tutelary deity of the kingdom.
A colourful scene then followed. The prophets of Baal were very busy round their altar: they danced until they were tired out, they gashed their faces and cried out with all their might, 'O Baal answer us'. But no flame appeared. 'Call louder,' EliYah taunted them, 'perhaps he is preoccupied or he is busy, or he has gone on a journey; perhaps he is asleep and will wake up' (1 Melechim 18:27).
At midday EliYah decided that the time for action had come. His altar was made of twelve stones, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Yisrael. At the prophet's first prayer the fire of YAHWEH (lightning) fell on the wood of the holocaust and set it alight. 'YAHWEH is Sovereign Ruler!' the people cried in a great wave of enthusiasm. The four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal were seized and taken to be slaughtered. At once the drought ended and rain began to fall in torrents. Ahab, who was present at this imposing performance, was deeply impressed.
The massacre of the priests of Molech greatly angered Jezebel. She at once dispatched her assassins with orders to kill EliYah. But the man of YAHWEH had once more taken to flight. Despite his resounding victory over the foreign kohens he was obliged to give way in the face of naked force. Hence his profound discouragement. On YAHWEH's orders he made his way to Sinai, walking for forty days and forty nights. All along the way he was miraculously fed by an 'angel' who brought him a scone baked on hot stones and a jar of water (1 Melechim 19). At last he arrived on the slopes of the set apart mountain where, from the mouth of YAHWEH himself, he was entrusted with further missions.
The word of YAHWEH came to him, 'Go away from here, go eastwards, and hide yourself in the wadi Cherith which lies east of Yarden (Jordan). You can drink from the stream, and I have ordered the ravens to bring you food there,'
He did as YAHWEH had said,..The ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening, and he quenched his thirst at the stream.
1 Melechim 17:2-6
EliYah and Naboth's vineyard
Meanwhile at Jezreel, the secondary capital of the kingdom of Yisrael, Ahab, still fond of imposing buildings, began to erect a palace. Near the new building in course of construction was a vineyard belonging to a peasant named Naboth; the king was very anxious to establish the vegetable garden of his palace on this site, but Naboth refused to sell it (1 Melechim 21:1-3). Ahab was annoyed, and Jezebel mocked her husband about it: 'You make a fine king of Yisrael and no mistake!' she railed. The queen had Naboth murdered and then ironically told her husband that he could 'take possession of the vineyard that he so ardently desired: 'Naboth, she explained, 'is no longer alive.'
With a glad heart Ahab went to inspect his new property. But he there came face to face with EliYah. 'You have murdered,' the prophet exclaimed angrily, 'and now you usurp as well. For this I will sweep away your descendants and wipe out every male belonging to your family; as for Jezebel, she shall be killed and the dogs will eat her body.' Terrified by these predictions Ahab tore his garments and put on sackcloth and humbled himself before YAHWEH, but this did not prevent EliYah's prophecies from being fulfilled. (It is possible that we have here, at least for certain details, an example of prophetia post eventum).
In any case, EliYah took up the position of a champion of social justice, something that was not usual at the period. A century later the prophet Amos was to return to this theme and take it much further. An assessment of the prophet EliYah's achievement can easily be made. He saved monotheism, which at this period suffered dangerous contamination from the tenets of the worshippers of Baal. Against the totalitarian paganism of Ahab and Jezebel EliYah proclaimed that YAHWEH was the Almighty Sovereign Ruler.
Are we to understand from this that YAHWEH of EliYah was universal? Certainly, and as such he was understood by the prophet. (It is true that the ordinary Yisraelite at that time had difficulty in admitting this, at least in his everyday life. For the full concept of YAHWEH we have to wait until the end of the Babylonian exile, when it was formulated by the anonymous prophet called in the Scripture the 'second YeshaYahu' make link here. But the men of YAHWEH were often in advance of their contemporaries.
It remains true, nonetheless, that Yahwism based on faith in the one, set apart, invisible YAHWEH, needed this campaign for reform if it was to survive. Indeed the whole campaign, the whole mission of this reformer is summed up in his name EliYah: EI-Yahu, 'The Almighty Sovereign Ruler is YAHWEH'.
The capital importance of EliYah in the development of the spiritual history of Yisrael is brought out clearly in the ReNewed Covenant in the description of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor: On that day, St MattitYahu reports YAHSHUA took with HIM three disciples, Kepha, Yaakov and Yochanan. HE moved apart from them but remained in their sight. Then suddenly HE was transfigured and they saw HIM speaking with Mosheh and EliYah. This was obviously a symbolic conversation: YAHSHUA, the incarnation of the new Law, beside Mosheh, the representative of the old Law (that of Sinai) and EliYah, the personification of prophecy (Matt. 17:1-8) and traditional forerunner of the Messiah.
Six days later, YAHSHUA took with him Kepha and Yaakov and his brother Yochanan and led them up a high mountain (Tabor) where they could be alone. There in their presence HE was transfigured: HIS face shone like the sun and HIS clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Mosheh and EliYah appeared to them; they were talking with HIM.
MattitYahu 17: 1-2
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