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But as I've mentioned before, there are some scholars who argue that biblical religion,
again as opposed to Israelite-Judean religion--what actual people were doing in Israel and Judah,
that's one thing, but biblical religion, which is this exclusive Yahwism or the tendency
towards monotheism--there are some who believe that that biblical religion originated in
the activity of zealous prophets like Elijah and Elisha in the north, doing battle with
Baal worship. After the fall of the northern kingdom, those traditions, those Yahweh-only
traditions, came south and were eventually absorbed in the Deuteronomistic School. So
this in fact may be the origin of some: this Yahweh-only party represented by figures like
Elijah and Elisha. The conflict between the two cults, the Yahweh
cult and the Baal cult, reaches a climax in the story in 1 Kings 18, this wonderful story
in which Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal and Asherah to a contest. We have to
remember that a severe drought has fallen on the land, which Elijah attributes to God's
punishment for Ahab's sin in introducing Baal worship on a broad scale. Now, Elijah is hiding
from the king, who's very angry with him for declaring this drought in the name of God.
After three years he returns to Ahab. Ahab sees Elijah, and he says, "Is that you, you
troubler of Israel?". And the prophet responds, "It is not I who have brought trouble on Israel,
but you and your father's House, by forsaking the commandments of the Lord and going after
the Baalim. Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel together, with the four
hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat
at Jezebel's table" that are supported by the royal house. When all of these people
are gathered, Elijah challenges the Israelites. He says, "'How long will you keep hopping
between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; and if Baal, follow him!'" [v
1 Kings 18:21]. You're hopping between two opinions.
So it seems that at the popular level there is no problem with integrating these two cults,
but you have the prophets of both that are demanding a certain exclusivity. He's met
with silence. So Elijah prepares for a dramatic contest. Two bulls are slaughtered, and they
are laid on altars, one an altar to Baal and one an altar to Yahweh. And the 450 prophets
of Baal are to invoke their god and Elijah will invoke his God to send a fire to consume
the sacrifice. The god who answers first, or the god who answers with fire, is truly
God. So the Baal prophets invoke their god morning
to noon, and they're shouting, "Oh, Baal. Answer us." And the description that follows
is wonderfully satirical. But there was no sound, and none who responded;
so they performed a hopping dance about the altar that had been set up. When noon came,
Elijah mocked them, saying, "Shout louder! After all he is a god. But he may be in conversation,
or he may be relieving himself [in the bathroom], or he may be on a journey, or perhaps he is
asleep and will wake up." So they shouted louder, and gashed themselves with knives
and spears, according to their practice, until the blood streamed over them. When noon passed,
they kept raving until the hour of presenting the meal offering. [1 Kings 18:26-29; see
note 2]
So more hours have gone by and still there's no sound and none who responded or heeded.
And then it's Elijah's turn.