When did Elijah call down fire on Mount Carmel?
Elijah challenges the 450 prophets of Baal; fire falls and the LORD is vindicated.
Elijah on Mt. Carmel took place c. 860 BC at Mount Carmel, during the Divided Kingdom period of Bible history. The account is recorded in 1 Kings 18:21 (KJV). Elijah challenges the 450 prophets of Baal; fire falls and the LORD is vindicated.
"How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." — 1 Kings 18:21 (KJV)
Elijah summoned all Israel to Mount Carmel and set before them a choice. The prophets of Baal cried from morning till evening with no answer. Then Elijah drenched his sacrifice with water, prayed once, and the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the water.
c. 860 BC
Key KJV Scriptures
"How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him."
"And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God."
Why It Matters
Carmel is the great Old Testament confrontation between the true God and false gods — and a model of bold, unmixed worship in an age of compromise.
Key People
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the prophets of Baal?
Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slew them there, according to the law against idolatrous prophets (Deuteronomy 13).
When did elijah on mt. carmel happen?
Elijah on Mt. Carmel is dated c. 860 BC, placing it in the Divided Kingdom era of biblical history. See 1 Kings 18:21 (KJV).
Where did elijah on mt. carmel take place?
Scripture places elijah on mt. carmel at Mount Carmel.
Who was involved in elijah on mt. carmel?
The key figures are Elijah, Ahab, The prophets of Baal.
Where is elijah on mt. carmel in the Bible?
You can read about it in 1 Kings 18:21, 1 Kings 18:39 (King James Version).
Why does elijah on mt. carmel matter?
Carmel is the great Old Testament confrontation between the true God and false gods — and a model of bold, unmixed worship in an age of compromise.
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