In the biblical times, the heights of the Carmel mountains were considered the seat of Baal, one of the main gods worshipped by the Canaanite peoples of the region.
It is recorded, when the Jewish people turned to wickedness and started following Baal, the prophet Elijah punished them by causing a drought to come upon the land which eventually led to the famous mountiantop great showdown.
The event took place at the southern end of the range at a spot called Muhraka, a name taken from the Arabic word for burn.
The confrontation took place between prophet Elijah and the 450 false prophets of Baal. Calling on the people to return from evil and follow God, Elijah challenged the priests to have Baal himself ignite the altar. They failed and Elijah built an altar of his own, had twelve barrels of water poured over it and then called on God to ignite it.
Biblical reference: 1 Kings 18: 20-38.
Takeaway: The powerful God that sent fire to Elijah’s water-soaked altar is the same God we serve today. He is the one to follow and obey.
