LIFE OF ELIJAH. F I. Of the birth and parentage of Elijah no account is recorded in Scripture. In attempts to embellish the history of this extraordinary man, the Jewish writers, ever fertile inventors of legendary narrative, have liberally indulged the temerity of conjecture. Some of them, who embraced the doctrine of the transmigration of souls, have identified him with Phinehas the son of Eleazar, resuming the office of a faithful minister of God, and again distinguishing himself by his pristine fervour while others have represented him as an angel, sent down to proclaim the resentment of the Most High against an idolatrous nation. It would be an endless and an useless employment to enumerate the extravagant conceits, which have been entertained of his person and character; of his present state, and of his future ad vent. The defection of the Ten Tribes from Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, produced an important revolution in the religious and civil government of the Jews. Their chiefs, under the name 6 of Kings of Israel,' and sometimes Kings of Samaria,' fixed their residence first at Sichem, and afterward at Samaria; while the Kings of Judah dispensed justice to the loyal tribes of Judah and Benjamin from their palace at Jerusalem. Ahab, the son of Omri, succeeded his father on the Israelitish throne. The conduct of this prince was in the highest degree disgraceful. More wicked than his father, he is said to have done evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, the first King of Israel, in order to prevent the re-union of the Twelve Tribes, had adulterated the divine service by consecrating two Golden Calves (in imitation, probably, of the Egyptian or Phoenician idols) as objects of worship at Dan and Bethel; and addressing the people, in the words of Aaron to their forefathers, Behold, Israel, the gods, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. He had prohibited his subjects, likewise, from visiting Jerusalem at the solemn festivals, and thus completely insured the continuance of idolatry. Ahab, not satisfied with merely treading in the steps of Jeroboam, made a greater progress in guilt, by contracting an unlawful marriage with Jezebel (the daughter of Ethbaal, King of Zidon) whom Josephus has characterised as bold and enterprising woman.' Under her in 'a fluence, he caused a magnificent temple to be built at Samaria in honour of Baal, or Belus, the god of the Zidonians, and established for the worship of Astarté a company of priests. The common people, following the example of their sovereign, forsook the commandments of the Lord, regis ad exemplum. At this critical period, Elijah the Tishbite appeared with all the authority of a messenger of God. He is justly called, the Prince of the prophets next unto Moses.' The sacred historian ushers him to our notice as another Melchizedeck without any intimation of his birth, or family, or the occurrences of his early life. He was an inhabitant of the extensive district assigned to the two tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, which was bounded on the west by the river Jordan, and on the east by Mount Galaad. On the commencement of his high office, he approaches Ahab with great dignity, states to him the important commission with which he is charged, and declares in undisguised language; As the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. It has pleased the Supreme Being, at different times, to adopt this mode of expressing his indignation. |