Carmel

VIEW:40 DATA:01-04-2020

circumcised lamb; harvest; full of ears of corn
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary


CARMEL.—1. A town in the mountains south of Hebron, in the territory of Judah (Jos_15:55). Here Saul set up a memorial of his conquest of the Amalekites (1Sa_15:12), and here Nabal (1Sa_25:2) and Uzziah (2Ch_26:10 AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ) had property. It was the home of Hezral or Hezro, one of David’s followers (2Sa_23:35, 1Ch_11:37). It is identified with Kurmul, about 10 miles S.E. of Hebron. 2. A hilly promontory by which the sea-coast of Palestine is broken, forming the south side of the hay of Acca. It continues as a ridge running in a S.E. direction, bordering the plain of Esdraelon on the S., and finally joining the main mountain ridge of the country in the district round about Samaria. On this ridge was Jokneam, reduced by Joshua (Jos_12:22). The promontory was included in the territory of Asher (Jos_19:26). It was the scene of Elijah’s sacrifice (1Ki_18:1-46), and hither after Elijah’s translation Elisha came on the way to Samaria (2Ki_2:25). Elisha was for a time established here (2Ki_4:25). The fruitfulness of Carmel is alluded to (Isa_33:9; Isa_35:2, Amo_1:2); it was wooded (Mic_7:14), a fact which made it a good hiding-place (Amo_9:3). The head of the Shulammite is compared to Carmel (Son_7:5).
The mountain seems from a very early period to have been a place of sanctity. In the list of Tahutmes III. of places conquered by him in Palestine, Maspero sees in one name the words Rosh Kodsu, ‘holy headland,’ referring to Carmel. The site was probably chosen for the sacrifice whereby the claims of Baal and Jehovah were tested, because it was already holy ground. An altar of Jehovah existed here before Elijah (1Ki_18:30). The traditional site is at the E. end of the ridge, but it is probably a mere coincidence that on the bank of the river Kishon just below there is a mound known as Tell el-Kasis, ‘the mound of the priest.’ Tacitus (Hist. ii. 78) refers to the mountain as the site of an oracle; the Druses hold the traditional site of the sacrifice of Elijah sacred; and the mountain has given its name to the Carmelite order of friars.
R. A. S. Macalister.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Edited by James Hastings, D.D. Published in 1909

Generally with the article, "the park," derived from kerem 'Eel, "the vineyard of God." Sometimes not a proper name: Isa_32:15, "a fruitful field," Hebrew Karmel; a characteristic feature of the Holy-Land.
1. A mountain promontory in Asher, 12 miles long, jutting out into the Mediterranean. a few miles S. of Ptolemais or Acre; toward its eastern extremity 1,600 feet above the level of the sea, at the W. end 600. Now Mar Elyas (Elijah), rarely Kurmul. The only bold headland of Palestine. It separates the plain of Sharon on the S. from the more inland plain of Esdraelon or Jezreel on the N., by which the river Kishon flows into the sea in a direction parallel to the mountain range. The stone is mostly soft white limestone, with nodules of flint; at the W. chalk; on the N.E. plutonic rocks. "Elijah's melons," or lapides Judaici, is the name applied to stones of light brown flint outside, hollow inside, and lined with quartz crystals or chalcedony, the geological "geodes."
Fossil spines of echinus are called "olives." The "apples" are the shells of the Cidaris glandifera. Carmel's characteristic shrubbery's are still to be seen, with rocky dells amidst jungles of copse oaks, evergreens, and numerous caves. The forests have disappeared. Flowering and fragrant herbs abound, hollyhocks, jasmine, and various vegetable creepers, "the excellency (i.e. the beauty) of Carmel" (Isa_35:2.) Hence it is the image of the bride's head with luxuriant tresses (Son_7:5). "thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple (Hebrew the pendulous hair is of glossy black, like purple), the king is held captivated with the flowing ringlets" (not galleries). The scene of Elijah's conflict with, and execution of, Baal's prophets was at the N.E. of the range, beside a spring said to be perennial.
But Blunt (Undesigned Coincidences) thinks that sea water was used, as water would not have been otherwise so wasted in a drought. The distance of the sea forbids this view; the sea is far W. of the scene. The spring is 250 feet below the steep rocky altar plateau. It is in the former a vaulted tank, with steps leading down to it. Carmel was so covered with thicket and forest as to be difficult of access, so that the fountain was not so available in the drought as otherwise it would have been. The shade of the trees and the vaulting (if it then existed) would check evaporation. The site of Elijah's sacrifice is still marked by the Arab name El-Maharrakah," the burning." The spring still flowing amidst the drought is close by. Josephus says the water was obtained from the neighboring spring (Ant. 8:13, section 5). The distance from Jezreel agrees with the narrative.
A knoll between the ridge and the plain is called Tell Kasis, "the hill of the priests;" the Kishon below is named Nahr el Mukatta, "the river of slaughter." From it Ahab "went up" to the sides of Carmel to take part in the sacrificial feast; Elijah went up to "the top" of the mountain to pray for rain: while Gehazi seven times climbed the highest point from whence the Mediterranean is to be fully seen over the W. shoulder of the ridge, and at last saw the little cloud rising out of the sea "like a man's hand," the sure forerunner of rain. An altar of Jehovah had existed on Carmel before that Baal worship was introduced; Jezebel had east it down (1Ki_28:30); this Elijah repaired and used as the altar for his sacrifice. Hence, as being a sacred spot, he had convened Israel and Ahab there. They and the 850 prophets of Baal stood close beneath the high place of the altar, near the spring, in full view of Jezreel and Ahab's palace and Jezebel's temple in the distance.
Subsequently it was the place of resort for worship on new moons and sabbaths (2Ki_4:23). Here too the successive fifties of king Ahaziah, at Elijah's call, were consumed by fire from heaven. (2Ki_1:9, where it ought to be "he sat on the top of THE hill," i.e. Carmel.) Elisha repaired there, after Elijah's ascension (2Ki_2:25). Here too Elisha was visited by the bereaved mother, with a view to his restoring to life her deceased son (2Ki_4:25). Tacitus mentions that ages afterward Vespasian went there to consult the oracle which was without image or temple, and with "only an altar and reverential sanctity" attached to the place.
On Carmel is the convent, the seat of the barefooted Carmelite monks, whose establishments spread over Europe from the 13th century. Bertholdt, a Calabrian, and a crusader in the 12th century, had founded the order, and Louis of France the convent, in the 13th century, at the traditional site of Elijah's abode. The Latin traditions as to Elijah being connected with the origin of that order of monks are purely mythical. Edward I of England was a brother of the order; Simon Stokes of Kent was one of its famous generals.
2. A city in the hilly country of Judah (Jos_15:55). The abode of the churl Nabal and Abigail "the Carmelitess" (1 Samuel 25; 1Sa_27:3). Saul set. up a "place," i.e. a memorial, there after his victory over Amalek (1Sa_15:12). Here Uzziah had his vineyards (2Ch_26:10). Ten miles S.E. of Hebron. In A.D. 1172 King Amalric held it against Saladin. The ruins of the castle (Kasr el Birkeh) are still visible, of great strength, with the large beveled masonry characteristic of Jewish architecture. To the E. is a glaring white desert, without shrub or water. inhabited by the partridge and ibex alone, the very two noticed in the narrative (1Sa_26:20): "the king of Israel doth hunt a partridge"; "David upon the rocks of the wild goats" (1Sa_24:2).
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
By Andrew Robert Fausset, co-Author of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown's 1888.

Car'mel. (fruitful place or park).
1. A mountain, which forms one of the most striking and characteristic features, of the country of Palestine. It is a noble ridge, the only headland of lower and central Palestine, and forms its southern boundary, running out with a bold bluff promontory, nearly 600 feet high, almost into the very waves of the Mediterranean, then extending southeast, for a little more than twelve miles, when it terminates suddenly in a bluff, somewhat corresponding to its western end.
In form, Carmel is a tolerably continuous ridge, its highest point, about four miles from the eastern end, being 1740 feet above the sea. That which has made the name of Carmel most familiar to the modern world is its intimate connection with the history of the two great prophets of Israel, Elijah and Elisha. 2Ki_2:25; 2Ki_4:25; 1Ki_18:20-42. It is now commonly called Mar Elyas; Kurmel being occasionally, but only seldom, heard.
2. A town in the mountainous country of Judah, Jos_15:55, familiar to us as the residence of Nabal. 1Sa_25:2; 1Sa_25:5; 1Sa_25:7; 1Sa_25:40.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
By Dr. William Smith.Published in 1863

in the southern part of Palestine, where Nabal the Carmelite, Abigail's husband, dwelt, Jos_15:55; 1 Samuel 25.
2. CARMEL was also the name of a celebrated mountain in Palestine. Though spoken of in general as a single mountain, it ought rather to be considered as a mountainous region, the whole of which was known by the name of Carmel, while to one of the hills, more elevated than the rest, that name was usually applied by way of eminence. It had the plain of Sharon on the south; overlooked the port of Ptolemais on the north; and was bounded on the west by the Mediterranean sea; forming one of the most remarkable promontories that present themselves on the shores of that great sea. According to Volney, it is about two thousand feet in height, and has the shape of a flattened cone. Its sides are steep and rugged; the soil neither deep nor rich; and among the naked rocks stinted with plants, and wild forests which it presents to the eye, there are at present but few traces of that fertility which we are accustomed to associate with the idea of Mount Carmel. Yet even Volney himself acknowledges that he found among the brambles, wild vines and olive trees, which proved that the hand of industry had once been employed on a not ungrateful soil. Of its ancient productiveness there can be no doubt; the etymology and ordinary application of its name being sufficient evidence of the fact. Carmel is not only expressly mentioned in Scripture as excelling other districts in that respect; but, every place possessed of the same kind of excellence obtained from it the same appellation in the language both of the prophets and the people. Mount Carmel is celebrated in the Old Testament, as the usual place of residence of the Prophets Elijah and Elisha. It was here that Elijah so successfully opposed the false prophets of Baal, 1 Kings 18; and there is a certain part of the mountain facing the west, and about eight miles from the point of the promontory, which the Arabs call Man-sur, and the Europeans the place of sacrifice, in commemoration of that miraculous event. Near the same place is also still shown a cave, in which it is said the Prophet had his residence. The brook Kishon, which issues from Mount Tabor, waters the bottom of Carmel, and falls into the sea toward the northern side of the mountain, and not the southern, as some writers have erroneously stated. Its greatest elevation is about one thousand five hundred feet; hence, when the sea coast on one side, and the plain on the other, are oppressed with sultry heat, this hill is refreshed by cooling breezes, and enjoys a delightful temperature. The fastnesses of this rugged mountain are so difficult of access, that the Prophet Amos classes them with the deeps of hell, the height of heaven, and the bottom of the sea: “Though they dig into hell,” (or the dark and silent chambers of the grave,) “thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down; and though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them,” Amo_9:2-3. Lebanon raises to heaven a summit of naked and barren rocks, covered for the greater part of the year with snow; but the top of Carmel, how naked and sterile soever its present condition, was clothed with verdure which seldom was known to fade. Even the lofty genius of Isaiah, stimulated and guided by the spirit of inspiration, could not find a more appropriate figure to express the flourishing state of the Redeemer's kingdom, than “the excellency of Carmel and Sharon.”
Biblical and Theological Dictionary by Richard Watson
PRINTER 1849.

Mount Carmel was the only major headland on the Palestine coast (Jer_46:18). It rose steeply from the sea, then extended inland in a mountain range about twenty kilometres long that divided between the Plain of Esdraelon to the north and the Plain of Sharon to the south. The mountains had good forests and pasture lands (Isa_33:9; Isa_35:2; Jer_50:19; Amo_1:2; Amo_9:3; Nah_1:4). (For maps and other details of the region see PALESTINE.)
According to the beliefs of Baalism that Jezebel introduced into Israel from Phoenicia, Mt Carmel was a sacred Baal site. This gives added significance to the contest on Mt Carmel where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal (1Ki_18:17-46; see ELIJAH). (Mt Carmel had no connection with a town in Judah named Carmel; 1Sa_15:12; 1Sa_25:2-42.)
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary by Don Fleming
PRINTER 1990.

kar?mel (כּרמל, karmel, or, with article, הכּרמל, ha-karmel, ?fruit garden?; Josephus, ὁ Κάρμηλος, ho Kármēlos, Καρμήλιον ὄρος, Karmḗlion óros):
(1) A beautifully wooded mountain range running for about 13 miles in a south-easterly direction from the promontory which drops on the shore of the Mediterranean near Haifa, at the southern extremity of the plain of Acre, to the height of el-Maḥraḳah which overlooks the plain of Esdraelon. On the top of the promontory, at a height of 500 ft. the monastery of Elias stands. From this point there is a gradual ascent until the greatest height is reached at Esfı̄yeh (1,742 ft.), the peak at el-Maḥraḳah being only some 55 ft. lower. The mountain - usually named with the article, ?the Carmel? - still justifies its name, ?the garden with fruit trees.? The steep slopes on the North and East, indeed, afford little scope for cultivation, although trees and brushwood grow abundantly. But to the South and West the mountain falls away to the sea and the plain in a series of long, fertile valleys, where the ?excellency? of Carmel finds full illustration today. There are a few springs of good water; but the main supply is furnished by the winter rains, which are caught and stored in great cisterns. The villages on the slopes have a look of prosperity not too often seen in Syria, the rich soil amply rewarding the toil of the husbandmen. Oak and pine, myrtle and honeysuckle, box and laurel flourish; the sheen of fruitful olives fills many a hollow; and in the time of flowers Carmel is beautiful in a garment of many colors. Evidences of the ancient husbandry which made it famous are found in the cisterns, and the oil and wine presses cut in the surface of the rock. There is probably a reference to the vine culture here in 2Ch_26:10. In the figurative language of Scripture it appears as the symbol of beauty (Son_7:5), of fruitfulness (Isa_35:2), of majesty (Jer_46:18), of prosperous and happy life (Jer_50:19). The languishing of Carmel betokens the vengeance of God upon the land (Nah_1:4); and her decay, utter desolation (Amo_1:2; Isa_33:9).
Asylum and Sanctuary
Roughly triangular in form, with plains stretching from its base on each of the three sides, the mountain, with its majestic form and massive bulk, is visible from afar. Its position deprived it of any great value for military purposes. It commanded none of the great highways followed by armies: the passes between Esdraelon and Sharon, to the East of Carmel, furnishing the most convenient paths. But the mountain beckoned the fugitive from afar, and in all ages has offered asylum to the hunted in its caves and wooded glens. Also its remote heights with their spacious outlook over land and sea; its sheltered nooks and embowering groves have been scenes of worship from old time. Here stood an ancient altar of Yahweh (1Ki_18:30). We may assume that there was also a sanctuary of Baal, since the worshippers of these deities chose the place as common ground for the great trim (1 Ki 18). The scene is traditionally located at el-Maḥraḳah, ?the place of burnt sacrifice,? which is still held sacred by the Druzes. A Latin chapel stands near, with a great cistern. A good spring is found lower down the slope. Just below, on the North bank of the Kishon stands the mound called Tell el-ḳissı̄s, ?mound of the priest.? From the crest of Carmel Elijah descried the coming storm, and, descending the mountain, ran before the chariot of Ahab to the gate of Jezreel (1Ki_18:42). Under the monastery on the western promontory is a cave, said to be that of Elijah. An older tradition locates the cave of the prophet at ed-Deir, near ‛Ain es-Sı̄h. It may have been the scene of the events narrated in 2Ki_1:9. Elisha also was a familiar visitor to Mt. Carmel. It was within the territory allotted to Asher; in later times it passed into the hands of Tyre (BJ, III, iii, 1).
(2) A city of Judah, in the uplands near Hebron, named with Maon and Ziph (Jos_15:55). Here Saul for some reason not stated set up a monument or trophy (1Sa_15:12; literally ?hand?). It was the home of Nabal the churlish and drunken flockmaster, whose widow Abigail David married (1 Sam 25); and also of Hezro, one of David's mighty men (2Sa_23:35; 1Ch_11:37). It is represented by the modern el-Karmil, about 10 miles to the Southeast of Hebron. Karmil is the pronunciation given me by several natives this spring. There are considerable ruins, the most outstanding feature being square tower dating from the 12th century, now going swiftly to ruin. There are also caves, tombs and a large reservoir.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PRINTER 1915.

Carmel, 1

Fig. 114?Mt. Carmel from the sea
Car?mel, a range of hills extending northwest from the plain of Esdraelon, and ending in a promontory, or cape, which forms the Bay of Acre. The extent of this range of hills is about six miles, not in a direct line; but the two extremities (on the western side towards the sea) jut out, and stand over against each other, forming a bow in the middle. The height is about 1500 feet; and at the foot of the mountain, on the north-east, runs the brook Kishon, and a little further north, the river Belus. Mount Carmel consists rather of several connected hills than of one ridge; the north and eastern parts being somewhat higher than the southern and western. The foot of the northern portion approaches the water very closely, but further south it retires more inland, so as to leave between the mountain and the sea an extensive and very fertile plain.
Mount Carmel forms the only great promontory upon the coast of Palestine. According to the reports of most travelers, the mountain well deserves its Hebrew name (Carmel?country of vineyards and gardens). It is entirely covered with verdure. On its summit are pines and oaks, and further down olives and laurel trees, everywhere plentifully watered. It gives rise to a multitude of crystal brooks, the largest of which issues from the so-called Fountain of Elijah; and they all hurry along, between banks thickly overgrown with bushes, to the Kishon. Every species of tillage succeeds here admirably, under this mild and cheerful sky. The prospect from the summit of the mountain over the gulf of Acre and its fertile shores, and over the blue heights of Lebanon and the White Cape, is enchanting.
The mountain is of compact limestone, and, as often happens where that is the case [CAVES], there are in it very many caverns?it is said, more than a thousand. In one tract, called the Monk's Cavern, there are as many as four hundred adjacent to each other, furnished with windows and with places for sleeping hewn in the rock. That the grottoes and caves of Mount Carmel were already, in very ancient times, the abode of prophets and other religious persons is well known. The prophets Elijah and Elisha often resorted thither (1Ki_18:19, sq. 42; 2Ki_2:25; 2Ki_4:25; and comp. perhaps 1Ki_18:4; 1Ki_18:13). At the present day is shown a cavern called the cave of Elijah, a little below the Monks' Cavern already mentioned, and which is now a Muslim sanctuary. Upon the summit is an ancient establishment of Carmelite monks, which order, indeed, derived its name from this mountain. The old convent was destroyed by Abdullah Pasha, who converted the materials to his own use; but it has of late years been rebuilt on a somewhat imposing scale by the aid of contributions from Europe.
Carmel, 2
Another Carmel, among the mountains of Judah, is named in Jos_15:55. It was here that Saul set up the trophy of his victory over Amalek (1Sa_15:12), and where Nabal was shearing his sheep when the affair took place between him and David in which Abigail bore so conspicuous a part (1Sa_25:2, sq.). This Carmel is described by Eusebius and Jerome as, in their day, a village, with a Roman garrison, ten miles from Hebron, verging towards the east. From the time of the Crusades till the present century its name seems to have been forgotten. But it has been recently recognized by travelers under the name of Kurmul. The place is now utterly desolate, but the ruins indicate a town of considerable extent and importance. The most remarkable ruin is that of a castle, quadrangular, standing on a swell of ground in the midst of the town. The distance of this place from Hebron is nearer eight Roman miles than ten, as assigned by Eusebius and Jerome.
The Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
by John Kitto.

1Ki_18:42 (c) This is a place of retreat for prayer, meditation, and communion with GOD.

2Ki_19:23 (b) By this is indicated the extent of GOD's judgment which reaches even to the finest and best that the enemy controls.

Son_7:5 (b) This indicates that the beauty of GOD's people is as great, colorful, delightful, and attractive as this wonderful mountain.
Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types
press 1957.

Carmel
(Hebrews Karmel', כִּרְמֶל, park, as in Isa_10:18; Isa_16:10; Isa_29:17; Isa_32:15-16; Jer_2:7; Jer_48:33 [also 2Ki_19:23; 2Ch_26:10, in both which passages the A. V. incorrectly takes it for a proper name, "Carmel"]; hence grits, as a garden fruit, Lev_2:14; Lev_23:14; 2Ki_4:42), the name of a noted promontory (often with the art. [as in several of the above occurrences of the appellation], hakKarmel´,
הִכִּרְמֶל, q. d. the orchard, Amo_1:2; Amo_9:3; Jer_4:26; Son_7:6; fully "Mt. Carmel," har hakKarmel', הִר הִכִּרְמֶל, q. d. garden-mount, 1Ki_18:19-20; or without the art. Isa_33:9; Nah_1:4; Jos_19:26), and also of a town; both doubtless so called from their verdant fertility. For details of both see the Memoirs accompanying the Map lately issued by the "Pal. Explor. Fund."
1. (Sept. usually Κάρμηλος [so Josephus, Ant. 5:1, 22, etc.; Tacitus, "Carmelus," Hist. 2:78; also Suetonius, Vespas. 5, 1]; but Καρμήλιον in 1Ki_18:19-20; 2Ki_2:25; 2Ki_4:25 [so Josephus, Ant. 13:5, 4], and Χερμέλ in Jos_12:22). A prominent headland of lower or central Palestine, bounding southerly the Bay of Acre, and running out boldly almost into the waves of the Mediterranean, from which it stretches in a straight line, bearing about S.S.E. for a little more than twelve miles, when it terminates suddenly by a bluff somewhat corresponding to its western end, breaking down abruptly into the hills of Jenin and Samaria, which form at that part the central mass of the country. The average height is about 1500 feet; and at the foot of the mountain, on the north, runs the brook Kishon, and a little further north the river Belus. Mount Carmel consists rather of several connected hills than of one ridge, being at the W. end about 600, and at the E. about 1600 feet above the sea. The highest part is some four miles from the E. end, at the village of Esfieh, which, according to the measurements of the English engineers, is 1728 feet above the sea. The foot of the northern portion approaches 'the water closely, but farther south it retires more inland. The slopes are steepest on the northern side toward the Kishon (q.v.).
Carmel fell within the lot of the tribe of Asher (Jos_19:26), which was extended as far south as Dor (Tantura), probably to give the Asherites a share of the rich corn-growing plain of Sharon (comp. Josephus, Ant. 5:1, 22; War, 3:3, 1). The king of "Jokneam of Carmel" was one of the Canaanitish chiefs who fell before the arms of Joshua (Josua 12:22). There is not in these earliest notices a hint of any sanctity attaching to the mount; but from the facts that an altar to Jehovah did exist there before the introduction of .Baal worship into the kingdom (1Ki_18:30); that Elijah chose the place for the assembly of the people, such assemblies being commonly held at holy places; and from the custom, which appears to Wave been prevalent, of resorting thither on new-moon and sabbaths (2Ki_4:23), there seem to be grounds for believing that from very early times it was considered a sacred spot. In later times, Pythagoras was led to it by that reputation, according to his biographer Iamblichus (Vit. Pythag. c. 3, p. 40, 42, ed. Kiesi.), who himself visited the mountain; Vespasian, too, came thither to consult — so we are told by Tacitus (Hist. 2:7), with that mixture of fact and fable which marks all the heathen notices of Palestine — the oracle of the god, whose name was the same as that of the mountain itself; an oracle without image or temple (see Smith's Dict. of Classical Geogr. s.v. Carmelus). But the circumstances that have made the name of Carmel most familiar are that here Elijah brought back Israel to allegiance to Jehovah, and slew the prophets of the foreign and false god; here at his entreaty were consumed the successive "fifties" out of the royal guard; and here, on the other hand, Elisha received the visit of the lereaved mother whose son he was soon to restore to her arms (2Ki_4:25, etc.) SEE ELISHA.
The first of these three events, without doubt, took place at the eastern end of the ridge, at a spot called el-Mulhrakah, near the ruined village of el-Mansurah, first described by Van de Velde (Journey, 1:324 sq.). The tradition preserved in the convent, and among the Druses of the neighboring villages, the names of the places, the distance from Jezreel, the nature of the locality, the presence of the never-failing spring, all are favorable (see Stanley, Sinai and Palest. p. 345 sq.; Thomson, Land and Book, 1:223 sq.). The terrace on which the traditionary structure stands commands a noble view over the whole plain of Esdraelon, from the banks of the Kishon down at the bottom of the steep declivity, away to the distant hill of Gilboa, at whose base stood the royal city of Jezreel. To the 850 prophets, ranged doubtless on the wide upland sweep, just beneath the terrace, to the multitudes of people, many of whom may have remained on the plain, the altar of Elijah would be in full view, and they could all see, in the evening twilight, that "the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt-sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water" (2Ki_4:38). The people then, trembling with fear and indignation, seized, at Elijah's bidding, the prophets of Baal; "and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there." On the lower declivities of the mountain is a mound called Tell el-Kusis, "the Hill of the Priests," which probably marks the very scene of the execution. May not the present name of the Kishon itself have originated in this tragic event? It is called Nahr el-Mokatta, "the River of Slaughter." The prophet went up again to the altar, which was near, but not upon the summit of the mountain. While he prayed, he said to his servant, "Go up now, and look toward the sea." The sea is not visible from the terrace, but a few minutes' ascent leads to a peak which commands its whole expanse. Seven times did the servant climb the height, and at last saw the little cloud "like a man's hand" rising out of the sea. SEE ELIJAH.
According to the reports of most travelers, the mountain well deserves its Hebrew name (see above). Mariti describes it as "a delightful region," and; says the good quality of its soil is apparent from the fact that many odoriferous plants and flowers, as hyacinths, jonquils, tazettos, anemones, etc., grow wild upon the mountain (Travels, p. 274 sq.). Otto von Richter (Waldfahrten, p. 64) gives a glowing account of its beauty and varied scenery. Mr. Carne also' says, "No mountain in or around Palestine retains its ancient beauty so much as Carmel. Two or three villages and some scattered cottages are found on it; its groves are few, but luxuriant; it is no place for crags and precipices, or rocks of the wild goats; but its surface is covered with a rich and constant verdure" (Letters, 2:119). "There is not a flower," says Van de Velde, "that I have seen in Galilee, or on the plains along the coast, that I do not find here on Carmel... still the fragrant, lovely mountain that he was of old" (Narrative, 1:317, 8). " The whole mountain side was dressed with blossoms, and flowering shrubs, and fragrant herbs" (Martineau, p. 539). So Isaiah (Isa_35:2) alludes to the excellency (splendid ornaments) of Carmel." So, on account of the graceful form and verdant beauty of the summit, the head of the bride in Son_7:5 is compared to Carmel. It was also celebrated for its pastures, and is therefore ranked with Bashan in Isa_33:9; Jeremiah 1, 19; Amo_1:2; Mic_7:14; Nah_1:4. Its conspicuous position is also compared with that of Tabor (Jer_46:18). Its great elevation is referred to in Amo_9:3. A much less glowing account of Carmel is given, however, by many travelers whose visit has been later in the year — toward the end of summer or in autumn — and who consequently found everything parched, dry, and brown. (See Hackett's Illustra. of Scripture, p. 324-326.) The western extremity of the ridge — that, unfortunately, with which ordinary travelers are most familiar, and from which they take their impressions — is more bleak than the eastern. Its sides are steep and rocky, scantily covered with dwarf shrubs and aromatic herbs, and having only a few scattered trees here and there in the glens (Crescent and Cross, 1:54 sq.).
The structure of Carmel is in the main the Jura formation (upper oolite), which is prevalent in the center of Western Palestine — a soft white limestone, with nodules and veins of flint. As usual in limestone formations, it abounds in caves ("more than 2000" —Mislin, 2:46), often of great length, and extremely tortuous. SEE CAVE. At the west end are found chalk and tertiary breccia formed of fragments of chalk and flint (Russegger, in Ritter, Erdk. 16:712). On the north-east of the mount, beyond the Nahr el-Mokatta, platonic rocks appear, breaking through the deposited strata, and forming the beginning of the basalt formation which runs through the plain of Esdraelon to Tabor and the Sea of Galilee (Ritter, ib.). The round stones known by the names of "Lapides Judaici" and "Elijah's melons" are the bodies known to geologists as "geodes." Their exterior is chert or flint of a. lightish brown color; the interior is hollow, and lined with crystals of quartz or chalcedony. They are of the form, and often the size, of the large watermelons of the East. Formerly they were easily obtained, but are now very rarely found (Seetzen, 2:131, 134; Parkinson's Organic Remains, 1:322, 451). The "olives" are more common. They are the fossil spines of a kind of echinus (Cidaris glandifera) frequent in these strata, and in size and shape are exactly like the fruit (Parkinson, 3:45).
The "apples" are probably the shells of the cidaris itself. For the legend of the origin of these "fruits," and the position of the "field" or "garden" of Elijah in which they are found, see Mislin, 2:64, 65. The whole ridge of Carmel is deeply furrowed with rocky ravines, filled with such dense jungle as scarcely to be penetrable. Here jackals, wolves, hyenas, and wild swine make their lairs, and woodcocks find excellent cover; while in the open forest glades, partridges, quails, and hares sport about. In the sides of the mountain, especially round the convent and overhanging the sea, are great numbers of caves and grottoes, formed partly by nature and partly by art and industry in the soft calcareous rock. Carmel at one period swarmed with monks and hermits, who burrowed in these comfortless dens. Curious traditions cling to some of them, in part confirmed by the Greek inscriptions and names that may still be traced upon their walls. One of them is called the "Cave of the Sons of the Prophets," and is said to be that in which. the pious Obadiah hid the prophets from the fury of the infamous Jezebel (1Ki_18:4). In one tract, called the Monks' Cavern, there are as many as 400 caves adjacent to each other, furnished with windows, and with places for sleeping hewn in the rock. A peculiarity of many of these caverns is mentioned by Shulz (Leitung, 5:187, 382), that the entrances into them are so narrow that only a single person can creep in at a time; and that the caverns are so crooked that a person is immediately out of sight unless closely followed. This may serve to illustrate Amo_9:3. To these grottoes the prophets Elijah and Elisha often resorted (1Ki_18:19 sq., 1Ki_18:42; 2Ki_2:25; 2Ki_4:25; and comp. perhaps 1Ki_18:4; 1Ki_18:13). At the present day is shown a cavern called the cave of Elijah, a little below the Monks' Cavern already mentioned, and which is now a Moslem sanctuary. Upon the northwest summit is anancient establishment of Carmelite monks, which order, indeed, derived its name from this mountain. SEE CARMELITES.
The order is said in the traditions of the Latin Church to have originated with Elijah himself (St. John of Jerus., quoted in Mislin, 2:49), but the convent was founded by St. Louis, and its French origin is still shown by the practice of unfurling the French flag on various occasions. Edward I of England was a brother of the order, and one of its most famous generals was Simon Stokes of Kent (see the extracts in Wilson's Bible Lands, 2:246; for the convent and the singular legends connecting Mount Carmel With the Virgin Mary and our Lord, see Mislin, 2:47-50). By Napoleon it was used as a hospital during the siege of Acre, and after his retreat was destroyed by the Arabs. At the time of Irby and Mangles's visit (1817) only one friar remained there (Irby, p. 60). The old convent was destroyed by Abdallah Pasha, who converted the materials to his own use; but it has of late years been rebuilt on a somewhat imposing scale by the aid of contributions from Europe. Carmel is known by the name of Jebel Kurmul in Arabian writers. At present it seems to be called by the Arabs Jebel Mar Elyas, from the convent of Elias near its northern end. (See generally Phil. a S. Trinitate, Oriental. Reisebeschreib. 3:1, p. 156 sq.; Reland, Palaest. p. 32 sq.; Hamesveld, 1:349; Schubert, Reise, 3:205; Robinson, Researches, 3:160, 189; Thomson, Land and Book, 1:493; Porter, Handbook for Syria, p. 371; Tristram, Land of Israel, p. 496.)
2. (Sept. Χερμέλ in Josh., ὁ Κάρμηλος in Sam. and Chron.) A town in the mountainous country of Judah (Jos_15:55), the residence of Nabal (1Sa_25:2; 1Sa_25:5; 1Sa_25:7; 1Sa_25:40), and the native place of David's favorite wife, "Abigail the Carmelitess" (1Sa_27:3; 1Ch_3:1). This was doubtless the Carmel at which Saul set up a " place" (יָד, a hand; compare 2Sa_18:18, "Absalom's place," where the same word is used) after his victory over Amalek (1Sa_15:12). This Carmel, and not the northern mount, must also have been the spot at which king Uzziah had his vineyards (2Ch_26:10). In the time of Eusebius and Jerome it was the seat of a Roman garrison (Onomast. s.v. Κάρμηλος, Carmelus). The place appears in the wars of the Crusades, having been held by king Amalrich against Saladin in 1172 (William of Tyre, De Bello Sacro, 30; in Gesta Dei per Francos, p. 993). The ruins of the town, now Kurmul,' still remain at ten miles below Hebron, in a slightly south-east direction, close to those of Main (Maon), Zif (Ziph), and other places named with Carmel in Jos_15:55. They are described both by Robinson (Bib. Res. 2:195-201; Bib. Sacr. 1843, p. 60) and by Van de Velde (Narrative, 2:77-79), and appear to be of great extent. They lie around the semicircular head and along the shelving sides of a little valley, which is shut in by rugged limestone rocks. The houses are all in ruins, and their sites are covered with heaps of rubbish and hewn stones. In the center of the valley is a large artificial reservoir, supplied by a fountain among the neighboring rocks. This is mentioned in the account of king Amalrich's occupation of the place, and now gives the name of Kasr el-Birkeh to a ruined castle of great strength, situated westward of the reservoir, on high ground, the most remarkable object in the place. Its walls are ten feet thick; their sloping basement and bevelled masonry are evidently of Jewish origin, probably the work of Herod. The interior was remodeled, and the upper part rebuilt by the Saracens. Beside it are the ruins of a massive round tower. Around and among the ruins of the locality are the foundations of several old churches, showing that the town had at one period a large Christian population. (See Seetzen, Reise, 3:8, 9; Porter, Handbook for Syria, p. 61; Schwarz, Palest. p. 106.) SEE CARMELITE.

CYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL
press 1895.

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