Elisha

Elisha (also Elisha Elisha, Hebrew אֱלִישַׁע on German " God helps " ) was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel. The stories about him are included in the Bible in 2 Kings, 2 Kings scattered between 2 EU and 2 Kings 14 EU. Thus Elisha worked during the reign of three kings: Joram, Jehu and his son Jehoahaz. He is also mentioned in the Qur'an in Sura 6, and is regarded in Islam as the Prophet Al- Yasa (also Alyasa, Aljasa or Elyasa ʿ written ).

This Elisha is not to be confused with Elisha, the son of Javan (Gen. 10.4 EU) - a son of Japheth - whose sons were spreading on the coasts and were to peoples in their various countries. The coasts of Elisha, which provides Ezekiel ( Ez 27.7 ) in his lamentation over Tyre, probably meaning Cyprus or a portion thereof.

Elijah heritage

Elisha is true in biblical historiography of the Deuteronomistic History as the legitimate successor of the Prophet Elijah, who accompanied the royal dynasty of Omrides critical.

In the biblical narrative Elisha after Elijah was taken from the judgment of God on Mount Carmel from the field and to his servant and successor determined (1 Kings 19.19-21 ). However, his own work only begins with the wonderful rapture of Elijah into heaven, he witnessed ( 2 Kings 2.1 to 18 ). The narrative emphasizes that God's spirit of Elijah went over to Elisha, so that he was capable of miracles similar to those of Moses ( division of the river). But while Elijah was a lonely lone fighter against Baal worship and syncretism, which was then used in Israel, Elisha already appears as head of schools of the prophets, which apparently existed in some Yhwh sanctuaries like Bethel, Gilgal and Jericho.

In these circles, believed the Bible research, are collected Elijah and Elischageschichten, compiled and has been interpreted theologically. Although they did not write their own books of the prophets, they already gave the later "classical" prophets Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah, the first essential elements of their prophecy before.

The Miracle Worker

A major strand of folk - lore Elisha tells of miracles that otherwise knows the Hebrew Bible by any other prophet. These were probably not tied to a specific historical situation and show legendary character, because in them " the King", "city ", " man " or " woman " usually appear without attribution. In addition, Elisha says here often just " man of God ", so that a part of these stories may have been attributed to him later. These include:

• The columns of the Jordan River by Elijah's mantle ( 2 Kings 2.14 EU)
• The healing of a source of unhealthy water ( 2 Kings 2:19-22 EU)
• Cursing a disrespectful boy Horde ( 2 Kings 2:23-24 EU)
• The rescue of a destitute widow with wonderful oil - propagation ( 2 Kings 4:1-7 EU)
• Healing inedible food ( 2 Kings 4.38 to 41 EU)
• The multiplication of the loaves ( 2 Kgs 4.42 to 44 EU) during a famine
• The healing of the leper Naaman the Syrian General ( 2 Kings 5 EU )
• Let swimming in a lost Eisenbeils Jordan ( 2 Kings 6:1-7 EU)

The awakening of the dead son of a Shunammite ( 2 Kings 4.8 to 37 EU ) is limited in this series, since it is taken up again later in order to induce the king of Israel to return stolen from the poor land ownership ( 2 Kings 8.1 -6 EU): Here, popular and socially critical prophetic tradition combine in front of a recognizable historical background.

The instigator of Jehu revolution

The reputation of the opposition prophets in the northern kingdom favored an internal developments that ended the decades-long dynasty of Omrides in a bloody coup. Here Elisha used the weakness of Joram the rightful king of Israel, from. This had been injured in a battle against the Syrians Hazael and left the assembled army, to recover. Because let Elisha Joram commander Jehu in Gilead secretly anointed with precious oil as the new king in the tradition of Samuel. So this was the army on his side, and marched out to overthrow Joram. He brought him in retaliation for the theft of land, the father of Joram, Ahab had committed to free farmers entitled to inherit Israel ( 2 Kings 9.1 to 27; cf. 1 Kgs 21: Naboth's vineyard ) and to also let the queen mother Jezebel, all relatives of Omri dynasty and kill the priests of Baal ( 2 Kgs 9.30 to 10.28 ).

This ended in the northern kingdom, the toleration of Baalkultes for the integration of the Canaanites in favor of a radical JHWHkultes.

Remembrance

• Evangelical: June 14, in the calendar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

• Roman Catholic: June 14, ( a saint )

• Orthodox: June 14

• Armenian: June 17

• Coptic: June 14