When it was time to present the meal offering, the prophet Elijah came forward and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel! Let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your bidding. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord are God; for You have turned theirs hearts backward.” Then fire from the Lord descended and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the earth; and it licked up the water that was in the trench. When they saw this, all the people flung themselves on their faces and cried out, “The Lord alone is God, The Lord alone is God!” (I Kings 18:36-39)

Rembrandt’s sketch of Elijah and the prophets of Baal introduces the viewer to panoply of elements from the biblical story. The figure on the far left is the prophet Elijah who faces the altar that he has reconstructed. His hands reach out as if to spiritually encompass the smoke rising from the offering consumed by the fire of God. Diametrically across from Elijah, on a raised platform, there is an inauspicious figure near another altar. The crown and the royal scepter clue us into his identity: Ahab, King of Israel. Rembrandt’s Ahab is bent over and sheepishly peering at Elijah from under his crown while the prophet stands straight and tall.

All eyes are upon Elijah. He has defeated the prophets of Baal who are congregated on the right of the picture. Although numerous, their dispersion signals their defeat.

It is unclear who is seated in the right top corner. Perhaps Rembrandt has drawn the queen, Jezebel her royal highness; exalted yet alone. On both the right and the left of the altar, Rembrandt has placed figures bowing down and acknowledging that: The Lord alone is God, The Lord alone is God!

As the emissary of the King of Kings, Elijah the prophet was a man of unprecedented power, yet the battles he encountered required far more than brute strength. His role was to convince both King Ahab and the nation of Israel of the omnipotence of God. At the same time, he must make sure that his audience does not confuse the message with the messenger. It was not the all-powerful prophet but rather the Almighty to whom they must pledge allegiance.

As king of Israel for 22 years (874-852 BCE), Ahab successfully forged a triangular alliance between Israel, Judah and Tyre, which yielded great political and economic advantages for his kingdom. The political arrangement with Phoenicia was secured through Ahab’s marriage to Jezebel princess of Sidon. With that marriage, the cult of Baal penetrated into Israel and threatened the foundations of Israelite culture. Ahab built a sanctuary to Baal in his capital city of Samaria, imported the worship of the goddess Ashera and encouraged Baal worship throughout Israel.

In addition to his political, economic and cultural accomplishments, Ahab was involved in what was indubitably one of the most important battles in the ancient world — the battle of Qarqar that took place in 853 BCE. A monolith of Shalmanesser III supplies our information concerning this battle.

Shalmanesser III, King of Assyria left his palace in Ninveh and set out to conquer the Fertile Crescent. He was met in Northern Syria at the city of Qarqar by an alliance of twelve kings. The inscription lists each king by name along with their contribution to the war effort; chariots, camels and foot soldiers. What is remarkable about the list is that Ahab king of Israel appears with rival kings of the region such as Hadad-ezer of Damascus and Irhuleni of Hamath. Commonality of purpose allowed them to overcome their differences and fight together against the Assyrian king.

It is of particular significance that Ahab contributed two thousand chariots to the war effort; more than all of the other kings combined. While Shalanesser III claimed a decisive victory, history indicates that the alliance that was successful in halting the Assyrian advance.

Ahab achieved great acclaim through this victory. His military and political success inspired the people to loyally support all of his policies including his cultural and religious ones.

What was Elijah’s attitude toward Ahab? There are several points in the narrative where this becomes evident. After having absented himself for three long years of drought, Elijah reappears. The long awaited reunion between the desperate king and the vigilante prophet is described as follows:

When Ahab caught sight of Elijah Ahab said to him. Is that you troubler of Israel? He retorted it is not I who have brought trouble on Israel but you and your father’s house by forsaking the commandments of the Lord and going after the Baalim.(I Kings 18:17)

This exchange seems to constitute a rather petty level of name calling for a king and a prophet. Had Ahab been waiting three years to call Elijah a troublemaker? Was it worthy of the prophet of God to repay the royal insult with an insult?

The answer, of course, is that the debate was much deeper. The two protagonists were not on the same wavelength. Ahab saw himself as a victorious savior of Israel who had accomplished great things for his people through his international exploits. He saw Elijah as a thorn in the side of national progress. Elijah points the accusing finger at Ahab as the real “troubler of Israel”. He and his household abandoned their ancestral faith and shirked their religious responsibility. Elijah’s contention is that for a leader of Israel, the only measurement of success is his unwavering devotion to God. All else is of no consequence.

Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, together with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table. Ahab sent orders to all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you keep hopping between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; and if Baal, follow him!” But the people answered him not a word. (IK18: 19-21)

It is instructive that Ahab enthusiastically agreed to the contest on Mount Carmel. Although one might argue that his agenda was to defeat Elijah and assert the unequivocal power and preeminence of the prophets of Baal, it is more likely that Ahab suffered from the same syndrome as the people — he too wavered between ideologies. The contest would establish once and for all who was the true god: Baal or the God of Elijah.

Elijah threw down the gauntlet, and the king willingly picked it up and set things in motion, but the text notes that the people were not able to respond to Elijah’s proposal. “How long will you keep vacillating between two beliefs? If the Lord is god follow Him; and if Baal, follow him! But the people answered him not a word. (I Kings 18:21).

Rashi, the medieval biblical exegete supplies the reader with an interesting insight.

But the people answered him not a word. They were unable to discern.

It was not out of malice that the people had left the fold. It was a function of ignorance and alienation. They had lost all contact with their own cultural heritage and had been swept away by the oblivion of paganism. Only Elijah’s dramatic pyrotechnics could jolt them back to the fundamentals of belief.

How was this matter resolved? Fire descended from on high consuming Elijah’s sacrifice and proving the supremacy of the God of Israel over Baal. The entire nation, from the king to the commoners, was brought to their knees. The resounding chorus of “The Lord alone is God, The Lord alone is God!” was proclaimed in unison. This moment is etched for posterity as an unprecedented spiritual zenith. Elijah’s actions reunified the people and the king with the God they had forgotten. Yet something else happened on Mount Carmel that fateful day even before the dramatic denouement. A remarkable degree of rapprochement was achieved between Elijah and his people and between Elijah and his king.

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come closer to me”; and all the people came closer to him. He repaired the damaged altar of the Lord. Then Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob — to whom the word of the Lord had come Israel shall be your name, and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. (I Kings 18:30-32)

Elijah, the daunting prophet, compassionately reached out to the people to draw them close. He actively involved them in the rebuilding of the altar of God with twelve symbolic stones. Together they restored the old altar rather than building a new one.

Rabbi Josef Kara interprets the incident as follows:

And he repaired the broken altar of God. He built an altar and reminded the people of Israel that the altar of the name of God should be in their hearts and on their lips. Since His name and presence had been broken down, cut off, shut down and forgotten from the consciousness of all twelve tribes.

The symbolic action of rejoining twelve stones of Israel was intended to educate the people that they could all return to God with one heart, one altar, one Torah. The symbolism of the twelve stones made it clear that unity of spirit can allow for blessed diversity. Elijah the zealot informed the people of Israel that as the fundamentals of faith are the unity we share we can surmount our differences. Building the altar was testimony to the strength, which inheres in unity. After so many long years of estrangement and alienation the people and their prophet joined forces. The struggle was over, the battle was won.

As for Ahab, the king, one assumes that he was among the enlightened, bowing and declaring the supremacy of God. This point is not noted explicitly in the text; however, he and Elijah do meet again on Mount Carmel, at which point they clarify their respective orientations.

Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a rumbling of approaching rain,” and Ahab went up to eat and drink. Then Elijah said, “Go say to Ahab, “Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.” Meanwhile the sky grew black with clouds; there was wind, and a heavy downpour fell; Ahab mounted his chariot and drove off to Jezreel. The hand of the Lord had come upon Elijah. He tied up his skirts and ran in front of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. (I Kings 18:41-46)

When our story began, a vast ideological chasm existed between Elijah and Ahab. After Elijah miraculously impressed the people with God’s omnipotence the king along with his constituency moved over to Elijah’s side. Now that they recognized God’s triumph over Baal, Elijah willingly brought the rain. However, he first instructed Ahab to eat. The nature of this command is curious. Elijah had just executed the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. Ahab wondered whether he would be next. Rather than directly absolving him of his guilt by association, Elijah required of the king to dissociate himself from the prophets of Baal by eating. This action would imply that Ahab was unmoved by their deaths, making it quite clear where his loyalties lied.

It was at this point that Elijah took giant strides in the direction of the king. The rain was falling steadily. Ahab’s chariot was on the way back to the royal palace in Jezreel. It had been a long day leaving him with much to contemplate. He had been defeated, but the spirit of the nation of Israel had triumphed and he was among them. From his royal chariot his eyes caught sight of a runner, drenched by the downpour, yet sprinting joyfully in front of his horses. He rubbed his weary eyes certain that they deceived him. Who was that man whose cape was blowing wildly in the wind? Could it be? Indeed, there was no mistaking Elijah, the prophet who had been answered through fire and now through rain. It was Elijah, Ahab’s prophet, paying him the respect due the king of Israel who walked in the ways of God.

1. Ashera was the Canaanite fertility and mother goddess. In Ugaritic literature she is called the goddess of the Sidonians and is depicted as the consort of Baal.

2. Qarqar is otherwise known as Carchemish. The ancient city was located in Northern Syria on the East bank of the Euphrates, 62 miles NE of Aleppo.

3. Joseph Kara was a northern French biblical exegete who lived in Troyes from 1060-1140. He was the nephew of Menahem bar Helbo and one of Rashi’s most illustrious students.