Elijah The Prophet
The accounts of Elijah the prophet in the Bible and his story as told by Louis Ginzberg in his Legends of the Jews describe some of the same events but in very different manners. Throughout the Bible, Elijah is portrayed as a faithful servant of God, and the two work together, God heeding Elijah’s words and vice versa. Ginzberg, however, often shows a more adversarial nature of the events, with God often manipulating Elijah in a contest of power. As such, Ginzberg’s God is more human-like in his motivations and ensuing actions. Elijah, on the other hand, is portrayed by Ginzberg as a devout, altruistic prophet, almost Christ-like in his ability to perform miracles and his attention to the poor and suffering. By drawing this contrast in his depictions of the two characters, Ginzberg often shows a less holy, more power-hungry God and idealizes Elijah. A comparison of the representation of some of Elijah’s stories in the Bible and then in Ginzberg reveals this discrepancy. Kings 1:17 begins with a declaration by Elijah stating that there “will be no rain or dew for the next two or three years until I say so.”(1 Kings 17:2) Ginzberg explains this statement as illustrating a promise between
Story Two – The River and the Ravens Ginzberg’s account of this biblical tale adds far more detail to the story. The bulls are described as twin brothers who have grown up together all their lives, and the author uses personification to describe the emotions of the animals. The first bull is upset by the fact that he is being sacrificed against God (in the name of Baal); he says of his brother “we took our food from the same manger and now he has been destined for God, as an instrument for the glorification of the Devine Name, while I am to be used for Baal, as an instrument to enrage my Creator.”(Ginzberg 198) In this take on the story, Elijah must convince the degraded bull to go along with the plan so that the prophets of Baal would not be able to use his absence as an excuse. The Lord’s prophet promises the animal that he will go to heaven. Ginzberg claims that the priests of Baal sought to deceive the people. He introduces a character named Hiel, who was to hide under the fire and ignite it at the menti! In conclusion, it is clear that Ginzberg’s versions of Elijah’s stories go beyond simply filling in the gaps left by the Bible narrative. Ginzberg wishes to show us a different type of God, one who is often at odds with Elijah and who wishes to test Elijah and make him fight for his reward in Heaven. The relationship between God and Elijah is less harmonious in Ginzberg’s account, and the reasons he offers for the events which take place are not always the motivations we would expect from the God who appears in the Biblical account. Ginzberg’s details give us tangible, human reasons for the events which occur, reasons that answer the readers’ questions about the stories but also offer us a slightly different conception of God.
Some topics in this essay:
Name Baal,
Ravens Bible,
Bible God,
God Ginzberg,
God Elijah,
Lord Ginzberg,
Queen Jezebel,
Throughout Elijah,
Ginzberg’s God,
Mount Sinai,
prophets baal,
story â€,
1 kings,
bible god,
ginzberg explains,
elijah release,
ginzberg’s account,
god elijah,
god instructs,
widow’s son,
god instructs elijah,
brook running dry,
elijah release god,
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Approximate Word count = 1832
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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