(Live here with a story building) - According to popular belief, Elijah the prophet hid in this cave in Haifa, when he fled from King Ahab, during his wanderings in Carmel. The uniqueness of the cave lies in the fact that it is a holy place for Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze alike.
Pairings, pregnancy and more...
According to popular Jewish belief, the stay in the cave can lead to the healing of the "spiritually ill", but the prayers in the cave may also be used to cure patients with other diseases, to be used for marriages or fruit of the womb, as is also customary in holy places, such as the graves of righteous people. According to various reports, in the 19th century it was customary to hold Lag B'Omer festivities in the cave.
Elkhader and Mar Elias
The Arabs and the Druze call the place "Al-Khader" which is translated in Hebrew as "The Green". This is the nickname of Elijah the prophet because "Elijah is alive and green" in popular tradition.
The Christian Arabs call Elijah the Prophet "Mar Elias", that is, Saint Elijah, and Mount Carmel "Jebel Mar Elias" - Mount Saint Elijah. At the beginning of the 17th century, Carmelite monks tried to settle in the cave area. However, although they received permission for this from the Ottoman government, they encountered strong opposition from the Muslims. That's why they decided to move their seat up the mountain, to the place where they founded the "Stella Maris" monastery - the star of the sea.
Al Makam Al Arabi
Until the end of the 19th century, the Druze used to make a pilgrimage to the cave, once a year. The place is called in their language "Al Makam al-Arabi" and they used to hold celebrations there in honor of Elijah the prophet. To this day, the Druze visit the prophet Elijah's cave, although without special celebrations.
A place of pilgrimage for people of all religions
Well, Dana's forerunner, the prophet Eliyahu's cave used as a place of visit and pilgrimage for all denominations. The inscriptions and paintings engraved on the cave walls are clear evidence of its importance in the different religious traditions.
Renovation of the cave
In 2020, renovation and restoration work on the cave began, with the aim of making the place accessible to the entire population, at a cost of approximately NIS 15 million. The works, which are currently in their final stages, were designed by the Tel Aviv architectural firm Kimel Eshkolot Ltd. Among the more well-known works of the firm is the "Hall of National Remembrance" of the martyrs of the Israel System on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
Ronit. Cheers for your response, women are stronger than men when you have to tell the truth...?
Yesterday I dreamed that Mecca was holy to the Jews.
Where do you think it will go if we implement it?
interesting
Self-righteous leftists, the place was Jewish and will remain Jewish, what happened, there are no plots left to invade now they want the holy places...enough of this sloppiness, they are participants in the displacement of Judaism.
Well done Citizen 1. If more people talk about the article, maybe they will reverse history, and return it to what it really was, Islam is 1400 years old, Judaism is 3000 years old, thank you very much: Avi Amrani?✡️?
Joshua Bo-Nun.
I'm glad to hear that most of the writers don't think like you, the cave does show a connection to Judaism because Elijah hid in it, like other righteous men who wrestled in caves in the ancient days, if the place doesn't speak to you, you don't have to visit it, just respect the others for whom the place is broken,,, Avi Amarni
So what if Elijah the prophet hid in a cave? He also comes to every circumcision and every house on Seder night.
The cave has no sanctity in Judaism.
The virtues attributed to the cave are nothing but folklore.
Thank you for your comment, folklore is part of the tradition of any people.
Yes, it is very important for us to report when the work is finished
Yes
David Bar On, my dear friend, thank you for the renovation. The appearance of the place gives a feeling to those who come to it. well done
As always, God bless you my friend Dr. David Bar - On. Have a good week
Thank you very much, Rapoul!
It is very interesting how our history changes from generation to generation, the Muslims never had a hold on Jerusalem, and today Jerusalem is the city number two in the heritage of the Islamic religion after Makkah in Saudi Arabia, they also do not remember that Muhammad actually destroyed Jerusalem. I would not be surprised if the grave of Rabbi Shimon near Safed might one day become holy to them, or the grave of Rabbi Meir the miracle worker. I was born in Haifa 73 years ago, and not once do I remember that Eliyahu's cave was sacred to the Arabs..
I visited the place last week with a Christian guest. The cave is divided in two by benches. On one side was a man (rabbi?) who taught a lesson to 4 men.
When I stood on that side the men looked at me with an unwelcome eye.
It seems that the cave was made into a synagogue with a partition. And this despite the fact that the cave is sacred to all religions.
Too bad that's the case.
Miriam is tired of looking for hunger and misery all the time. The left here is consumed with hatred for Judaism, when did you become like this - something went through your head or they planted messages in the secular schools. It is unbelievable to constantly hate Judaism and take pictures with fir trees and churches. Enough is enough, it's not good anymore, you don't have to live in the country. The Christian guest will respect the customs of the Jews as we would respect them in Christian countries.
Come back with friends and a lot!
To bring women of all faiths to show them that they can keep looking
And also, don't get excited to be strong in front of them!!!
Not excited about you either so all in all it's a fair barter.
How exactly is Elijah the prophet related to Christians? to Muslims? To the Druze?
It's just an illusion. They have no history and saints, so we attribute our saints to them.
Thanks for your response, it turns out that it is also related to the tradition of Muslims and Christians.
Loves coming to this place, leaves it full and calm. It's time to renovate and preserve the place and it's good that it's done. The abandonment and neglect that were there did not respect the place. Now it will look different, and who knows, maybe there will be a place of prayer and peace for people of all religions who come there together. God has one
Thank you for your comment, I hope there will be a place of prayer for everyone and tolerance will rule it.
Thank you David for the interesting article. A small detail to add: the Tel Aviv architectural office Kimel-Eshkolot was founded and owned by Eitan Kimel and Michal Eshkolot, both of whom have Haifa roots, were born and raised and educated in Haifa.
Thank you for your response, there is no doubt that this is one of the best offices in the country.
I don't like the cave renovation. They took away part of the uniqueness and natural charm that it had, which was a bit hidden, and turned Utza into another quite generic site in terms of design and the spirit of the place. Maybe with time something of the mystery and silence will return there. I would suggest planting more trees to hide the monstrous Allenby interchange that completely and unnecessarily destroyed Rosh Carmel!!
thank you for your response. I completely agree with your review. Out of a desire to improve and renovate the place became another synagogue...
Absolutely right, what happened to the Wall is happening to Eliyahu's Cave. The atmosphere of holiness and mystery that I remember from my childhood has completely disappeared due to a lot of construction oriented towards the exclusion of women. We used to sleep in the cave without separation by the light of hundreds of candles and the sacred atmosphere that was there cannot be recreated today in any way. Too bad and sad.