A Rotterdam manganese red biblical tile picture

Elijah fed by the ravens (I Kings 17:1-6) during a prolonged drought Elijah went to dwell by the brook Cherith, which still ran. Ravens brought him bread and meat morning and evening. Elijah was a Hebrew prophet, a forceful character who vigorously opposed the cult of Baal among the Israelites. Though his historicity is not in doubt, the events of his life are told in strong mythical terms. In Roman Catholicism, next to the Virgin Mary the protectress of the Order, Elijah is the most prominent figure in the decoration of Carmelite churches.

See illustration