The prophet Elijah makes his first biblical appearance during the reign of King Ahab. The king marries the Tyrian princess Jezebel, who persuades him to set aside God in favor of the god Baal and the goddess Asherah. Although the Bible does not explicitly say so, scholars also suggest other acts of depravity are being committed at court, including ritual sex and child sacrifice.

It is at this point that Elijah arrives, warning the errant Ahab of a drought: “There will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). However, speaking out puts Elijah’s life at risk and God tells him to go to the brook Cherith (east of the Jordan River).

Elijah survives by drinking the water and eating meat brought twice a day by ravens, as God has promised, until the brook runs dry. God then leads Elijah to Phoenicia and safety within the house of a widow, where, with God’s help, Elijah performs a miracle by bringing her son back to life. God’s protection of Elijah in unexpected ways—ravens, which are unclean in Israelite law, and through the poor widow—shows His care for the faithful. Ravens also reference God’s protecting love in Job 38. Their ubiquity in ancient Israel was seen as a sign that God’s love is everywhere.

Elijah hides in the wilderness in this anonymous work from the collection of Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris. God sends ravens to bring him food.