Elijah - The prophet. In Hebrew: Eliyahu. Means in Hebrew: Eli (my God) + Yahu (the Lord, the Hebrew God). Thus the name means "The Lord is my God". Elijah came from a place called Tishbi, in the region of Gilad - east to the Jordan river.
Biblical reference: 1 Kings 17:1: "And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, 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".
St Elias - Elijah's Christian name
El-Khader - Elijah's name in Arabic (means the 'green', implying being "fresh").
Elijah's cave is one of the most sacred caves in the Holy Land. According to the tradition of all faiths (Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze) it was one of the places where Prophet Elijah has lived and hid while operating in the area of Mount Carmel 29 centuries ago. Visitors come here to pray daily, and there are large ceremonies held several times a year.
This natural cave is a long single hall (14 x 8 x 5M), with small cavities in its eastern and northern sides. Around the entrance to the cave are several buildings, built 120 years ago, which served as a hostel.
The cave is located on the bottom of the foothill of the north-western corner of mount Carmel, just below the Stella Maris lighthouse and monastery. It can be easily approached by stairs from the Allenby Road (number 230), close to the location of the cable car station in Bat-Galim.
The following aerial view shows the location of the cave - in the center of the image.
According to archaeological survey, the cave was part of a settlement in the Persian, Hellenistic, Roman/Byzantine, Crusaders and Mameluk periods.
The pilgrimage to the cave started at these early times. The graffiti on the walls of the cave are dated to the Byzantine period. There are numerous of written records of the visits to the cave in the recent 1000 years.
Note that there are a number of other caves around the Galilee, such as El-Khader, associated with this tradition.
Carmelite monks
The Carmelites are a Catholic order of monks, one of the oldest in the Holy Land, and named after Mount Carmel. They were founded on Mount Carmel more than 800 years ago, starting from a number of Crusaders who went to seclusion in the caves on mount Carmel, and lead by the Frenchman Berthold (died 1188). In about 1200 their first church (St. Brocardus) was built in Siakh (bush) creek on the western slopes of mount Carmel, but were butchered by the Arabs after the defeat of the Crusaders. Their primary saint is the Prophet Elijah.
During the mid 17th C the Carmelite monks returned to reside in the caves below Stella Maris and established a makeshift monastery between the cave and the lighthouse.
Late Ottoman period
The Carmelites established the Stella Maris monastery in the end of the 18th C, completing it in 1836, on the cliffs above the cave. This monastery became an influential institution in the newly founded city. It gave a push to the area, bring more Christian population to the city. The Carmelites, whose primary saint was Elijah, made the cave the most important Holy place in the area.
Furthermore, the rediscovery of the Holy Land brought more visitors and pilgrims. Starting in 1887 a hostel was built around the cave to accommodate the growing number of visitors. Some of them came for several days and stayed in the rooms, such as sick people who came for the chance Elijah's spirit would heal them, or barren women who prayed for a child.
The cave was controlled by an Arab family, and the site was called El-Hadar - Arabic name of the prophet.
Modern times
Today the cave is open to the public, controlled by the Ministry of Religious services, and is used for daily private prayers and year round larger events.
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