With the coming of Elijah, the center of gravity in Israel moves from the royal court to the voice of the prophet. 1 Kings 17 and following focuses on the transformation of Israelite society that begins with the polity of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. We meet Elijah in 1 Kings 17 as he calls down a famine on Israel. In many ways, this is an eschatological judgment that is filled with references back to the judgment of the flood, and this sets in motion a series of events which culminates in the Assyrian conquest. Isaiah 8 describes the Assyrian conquest as rising like an overflowing flood, and the prophets of the north seem to have an interesting link with the story of the flood. For example, Elijah is sent into the wilderness where he is fed by ravens. Jonah, similarly a prophet of the northern kingdom, is sent away into the land of the gentiles. Jonah’s name means “dove” and the Book of Jonah has a number of references back to the story of the flood.
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