Biography:
Elijah was an important Israelite prophet whose name means my Lord is Jehovah. Elijah's life is document in the bible through 1 and 2 Kings. Elijah lived during the reigns of Israelite Kings Ahab, Ahaziah and Jehoram, which is around the first half of the 9th century BCE. He first aappears halfway through the reign of King Ahab which was about 864 BCE. Elijah lived in the northern kingdom of Israel. Stories about Elijah are about his battles against foreign god Baal and his priestly representatives. King Ahab was slack in maintaining strict religious purity because of his ties with Phoenician states. Elijah was important because he is a reformer prophet, who's purpose was to call the Israelites back to the worship of Yahweh and away from the evil pagan religious cults that were becoming popular at the time. 2 Kings says that Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire, which means that according to Jewish tradition he is not really dead and he continues to wander the Earth and will reappear at the return of the Messiah.