The "Elijah cycle of stories" has five major scenes as described in 1 Kings 17, 18, 19 and 21. Lawrence Boadt, Reading the Old Testament, page 260 (Paulist Press revised and updated by R. Clifford and D. Harrington 2012). As Boadt says, "[t]he second scene is the most dramatic" (Boadt at 260):
[20] So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel, and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel.
[21] And Eli'jah came near to all the people, and said, "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Ba'al, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word.
[22] Then Eli'jah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD; but Ba'al's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
[23] Let two bulls be given to us; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it; and I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, and put no fire to it. [24] And you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, he is God." And all the people answered, "It is well spoken."
[25] Then Eli'jah said to the prophets of Ba'al, "Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it."
[26] And they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Ba'al from morning until noon, saying, "O Ba'al, answer us!" But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped about the altar which they had made.
[27] And at noon Eli'jah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened."
[28] And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.
[29] And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice; no one answered, no one heeded.
[30] Then Eli'jah said to all the people, "Come near to me"; and all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down;
[31] Eli'jah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, "Israel shall be your name";
[32] and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
[33] And he put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, "Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood."
[34] And he said, "Do it a second time"; and they did it a second time. And he said, "Do it a third time"; and they did it a third time.
[35] And the water ran round about the altar, and filled the trench also with water.
[36] And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Eli'jah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
[37] Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that thou, O LORD, art God, and that thou hast turned their hearts back."
[38] Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
[39] And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God."
[40] And Eli'jah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Ba'al; let not one of them escape." And they seized them; and Eli'jah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.
I Ki 18: 20-40 (RSV).
This shocking account of the victory of God is meant to be read out loud. Next post I will explain why.
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