Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Mount Carmel (although it is a mountain by itself) also gives its name to a ridge of wooded mountains that starts in northwestern Israel on its Mediterranean coast at the south shore of the Bay of Acre, and runs southeast to the plain of Dothan. The Valley of Jezreel runs along the northeast side of the ridge. At its highest point, it reaches 1,700 feet above sea level. The name Carmel means "vineyard", "orchard", or "garden".

The most notable Biblical reference to Mount Carmel is as the site of the contest that occurred in 1 Kings 17 between Elijah (as God's prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel) and the prophets of the false god Ba'al, which was worshipped by the Israelite King Ahab and his pagan wife Jezebel. The location of the contest had formerly been the site of an altar that had been built to God. However, that altar had fallen into disuse and disrepair over time as Israel fell away from the worship of God, and had been led into idolatry by Israel's series of evil kings, of whom Ahab was the worst yet (1 Kings 16:33). Jezebel had then erected an altar to Ba'al on the site.

In the contest, the hundreds of false prophets who were present placed a sacrificial offering on their altar. They then called on their god all day to send fire down from heaven to consume their offering, but there was no response, for which Elijah mocked them.

Toward evening, Elijah repaired the altar of God that was on the site. He then placed a sacrificial offering on the altar, and ordered the offering and the altar to be thoroughly soaked with water. He then called on the God of Israel to consume the offering with fire. Fire immediately fell from heaven, and not only consumed the sacrificial offering, but also all the water that had been poured on or around the altar, after which the spectators acknowledged the Lord as the true God. Elijah then ordered the hundreds of prophets of Ba'al to be rounded up and taken to Kidron Brook, where he personally slew them.

Later, after Elijah had been taken to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11-12), his prophetic successor Elisha apparently used Mount Carmel as his "home base", as indicated in 2 Kings 4:25.

There are also other biblical references to Mount Carmel as a symbol of beauty, fertility, or majesty, such as in Song of Solomon 7:5 and Isaiah 35:2.

November 11 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report