Elisha was, according to the Hebrew Bible, a prophet and a wonder-worker.
22 Facts About Elisha
2.
Elisha's name is commonly transliterated into English as Elisha via Hebrew, Eliseus via Greek and Latin, or Alyasa via Arabic, and Elyasa or Elyesa via Turkish.
3.
Elisha served from 892 until 832 BC as an advisor to the third through the eighth kings of Judah, holding the office of "prophet in Israel".
4.
Elisha is called a patriot because of his help to soldiers and kings.
5.
Elisha then went on to perform twice as many miracles as Elijah.
6.
Elisha's story is related in the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible.
7.
Elisha was the son of Shaphat, a wealthy land-owner of Abel-meholah; he became the attendant and disciple of Elijah.
8.
Elijah went over to him, threw his mantle over Elisha's shoulders, investing him with the prophetic office.
9.
Elisha delayed only long enough to kill the yoke of oxen, whose flesh he boiled with the wood of his plough.
10.
Elisha became Elijah's close attendant until Elijah was taken up into heaven.
11.
Critics of this view point out that Elisha was already appointed as Elijah's successor earlier in the narrative and that Elisha is described as performing twice as many miracles as Elijah.
12.
Elisha fed a hundred men with twenty loaves of new barley, leaving some leftover, in a story which is comparable with the miracles of Jesus in the New Testament.
13.
Elisha cured the Syrian military commander Naaman of leprosy but punished his own servant Gehazi, who took money from Naaman.
14.
Naaman, at first reluctant, obeyed Elisha, and washed seven times in the River Jordan.
15.
Elisha then journeyed to Damascus and prophesied that Hazael would be king over Syria, while weeping because of the evil he would do.
16.
Elisha directs one of the sons of the prophets to anoint Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, as king of Israel, and commissions him to cut off the house of Ahab.
17.
Elisha predicts three successful battles over the Arameans, but no absolute victory.
18.
Elisha is venerated as a saint in a number of Christian Churches.
19.
Today, the relics of Elisha are claimed to be among the possessions of the Coptic Orthodox Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great in Scetes, Egypt.
20.
Elisha is venerated as a prophet in all of Islam, and is prophetic successor to Elijah.
21.
Elisha is mentioned twice in the Quran as a prophet, alongside fellow prophets.
22.
Some Muslims believe the tomb of Elisha is in Al-Awjam in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia.