Saint Elijah was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Ahab (9th century BC). According to the Books of Kings, Elijah defended the worship of Yahweh over that of the Phoenician god Baal, he raised the dead, brought fire down from the sky, and was taken up in a whirlwind. In the Book of Malachi, Elijah's return is prophesied "before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord," making him a harbinger of the Messiah. This common depiction of the prophet Elijah riding a flaming chariot across the sky resulted in syncretistic folklore among the Slavs, incorporating pre-Christian motifs in the beliefs and rites regarding him in Slavic culture.
The icon depicts prophet and mystic Elijah sitting in contemplation in a desert cave, shoulders wrapped in a fur cloak. He is surrounded by the vignettes with scenes of his life and his fiery ascent into Havens. Saint Elijah was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of king Ahab (9th century BC). According to the Books of Kings (17-19), Elijah defended the worship of Yahweh over that of the Phoenician god Baal, he raised the dead, brought fire down from the sky, and was taken up in a whirlwind. In the Book of Malachi, Elijah's return is prophesied "before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord," making him a harbinger of the Messiah. This common depiction of the prophet Elijah riding a flaming chariot across the sky resulted in syncretistic folklore among the Slavs, incorporating pre-Christian motifs in the beliefs and rites regarding him in Slavic culture.
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