Fire on the Mountain: A Showdown of the Prophets Quiz

Answer: Kingdom of Israel

Ahab succeeded the throne of his father Omri after a long period of political upheaval in Israel. The previously united kingdoms of Israel and Judah were divided, and had been so for less than a century, though it's hard to say exactly for how long. 1 Kings 16 states that Ahab ascended the throne in the 38th year of Asa, King of Judah, the great-grandson of King Solomon. Most concur that Ahab's wife, Jezebel, was a very corrupting influence.

Answer: Obadiah

When he met Elijah, who told Obadiah to announce his presence to Ahab, Obadiah replied in 1 Kings 18:13, "Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. And now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' He will kill me!" Tradition holds that this servant of Ahab gained the gift of prophecy as a result of his providing safe keeping for the Lord's believers, and went on to write the Book of Obadiah.

Answer: Asherah

Asherah was a Semitic goddess in Canaanite and Hittite traditions, considered to be the "Queen of Heaven" or the consort of the highest god. Various versions of her appear in different polytheistic traditions throughout the Middle East. The Jews of the time were not entirely monotheistic, and large portion of Israelites worshiped the local gods such as Baal and Asherah in addition to the God of Abraham.

This was clearly against Biblical doctrine. An Asherah Pole, mentioned numerous times in the Bible, was the traditional shrine erected for worship of this goddess.

Answer: Haifa

Haifa is the third largest city in the modern State of Israel, after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It is a beautiful coastal port town in the northern area of the country, built on the slopes of Mount Carmel. At the base of the mountain is the Grotto or Cave of Elijah, a major Jewish shrine built to commemorate the prophet, who is thought to have sought shelter in the cave. Haifa is also home to the Baha'i Gardens and World Center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most sacred places in the Baha'i faith.

Answer: Bull

A bull was considered to be one of the most valued animal sacrifices in Judaism. Leviticus chapter 4 describes how a bull was to be used as the sin offering to atone for the sins of the community. Chapter 16 of Leviticus instructs the first Levite High Priest, Aaron, that in order to enter the Most Holy Place to the Ark of the Covenant, he must first bring a young bull for the sin offering.

Answer: Sleeping

Even though his life was at stake in this contest, Elijah had quite some nerve and great faith to be able to tease the opposing prophets in this way. 1 Kings 18:28 continues, "So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed."

Answer: Twelve tribes of Israel

In Joshua 4, twelve stones representing the Tribes of Israel were also used, as the Israelites were crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land. This passage tells us that the flow of the Jordan River was cut off at the point in which the twelve stones were placed, allowing safe and dry passage.

Answer: Water

This was a true test of faith expecting a miraculous display. Elijah had the people fill four large jugs with water, and three times over, they deluged the offering and the wood. Elijah believed that if what his God was telling him was true, his altar would ignite no matter what he might do that would normally prevent such a thing.

Answer: Elijah's robe

1 Kings 18:38 states, "Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench." The prophets of Baal had been crying out to their god all day with no such luck. They were exhausted and had injured themselves. All Elijah had to do was ask God once to perform as he had promised, and this resulting fire must have been quite intense.

Answer: "The Lord - he is God! The Lord - he is God!"

As promised, God sent a heavy rain to quench the drought filled land. Elijah though, was not without vengeance, and had the prophets of Baal slaughtered. Still a fugitive, afraid for his life, Elijah fled to the city of Beersheba, in the Negev desert. Beersheba, at the turn of the millenium, was the seventh largest city in Israel and the home of Ben Gurion University, named after the first Israeli Prime Minister.