†) The holy and glorious Prophet Ilia the Tesviteantranslated

Orthodox calendar, July 20 The holy and glorified Prophet Elijah the Tesvitean The Holy Prophet Elijah was the son of Sovah, from the city of Tesva, from Gilead, beyond the Jordan, hence the Prophet's name: Elijah the Tesvitean. He lived more than eight hundred years before the incarnation of the Savior, in the time of Ahab, king of the Jews (c. 874-853 BC).

This king had married a Phoenician woman, Jezebel from Sidon, a woman who worshiped Baal, one of the main gods of the Phoenicians. She urged the king to leave the old faith of the Jews, in the true God, and to worship Baal, and the king and all the people to follow him, turning away from God.

The king, valuing the vanity of this world more than the salvation of his soul, left the true faith and, himself embracing the idolatrous law, gave orders and much help to bring the faithful people to the worship of idols, persecuting the defenders of the true faith, erecting heathen temples, everywhere in the land of Israel, and holding in high honor the servants of Baal.

St. Elias the Prophet stood up then, at God's call, who, coming to the king's court, reprimanded him with harsh words...