1. (Sept. usually KdpftriKoc [so Josephus, Ani, v, 1, 22, etc. ; Tacitus, *'Carmelus," Hist, ii, 78; also Sue- tonius, Vespas. 5, 1] ; but KcipfUjXtov in 1 Kings xviii, 19, 20; 2 Kings ii, 25; iv, 25 [so Josephus, ArU, xiii, 5, 4], and XipfuX in Josh, xii, 22). A prominent head- land 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 stretch- es 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 Jentn and Samaria,^luch 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 Be- lus. Mount Carmel consists rather of several con- nected hills than of one ridge, being at^e W. end about 600, and at the £. about 1600 feet above the sea. The highest part is some four miles from the £. end, at the village of Esfieh, which, according to the meas- urements 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 in- land. The slopes are steepest on the northern side toward the Kishon (q. v.).
Carmel fell within the lot of the tribe of Asher (Josh, xix, 26), which was extended as fiir south as Dor (Tantura), probably to give the Asherites a share of the rich corn-growing plain of Sharon (com p. Jose- phus, Ant, V, 1, 22 ; War, ui, 8, 1). The king of " Jok- neam of Carmel" was one of the Canaanitish chiefs who fell before the arms of Joshua (xii, 22). There is \ not in these earliest notices a hint of any sanctity at- . tachlng to the mount ; but from the facts that an altar to Jehovah did exist there before the introduction of Baal worship into the kingdom (1 Kings xviii, 80) ; that Elijah chose the place for the assembly of the | people, such assemblies being commonly held at holy
I places ; and from the custom, which appears to have I been prevalent, of resorting thither on new-raoon and sabbaths (2 Kings iv, 23), there seem to be grounds for believing that from very early times it was consider- I ed a sacred spot. In later times, Pythagoras was led to it by that reputation, according to hb biographer ' lamblichus {Vk. Pythag. c. 3, p. 40, 42, ed. Kiesl.), who himself visited the mountain ; Vespasian, too, I came thither to consult — so we are told bv Tacitus (Hist, ii, 7), with that mixture of fact and fiible which , marks all the heathen notices of Palestine — the orack I of the god, whose name was the same as that of the I mountain itself; an oracle without image or temple (see Smith*s Did, of Classictd Geogr, s. v. Carmelus). . But the circumstances that have made the name of Carmel most fiuniliar are that here Elgah brought back Israel to allegiance to Jehovah, end slew the prophets of the foreign and false pod ; here at his en- treaty were consumed the successive " fifties'* out o^ I the royal guard ; and here, on the other band, Ellsha I received the visit of the bereaved mother whoee son ' he was soon to restore to her arms (2 Kings iv, 25, etc.) See Eluha. The first ot these three events, without doubt, took place at the eastern end of the ridge, at a spot call^ d-Mukkrakak, near the ruined I village of el-Mansurah, first described by Van de I Yelde {Jimrneify i, 824 sq.). The tradition preserved I in the convent, and among the Druses of the neigb- I boring. villages, the names of the places, the distance from Jezreel, the nature of the locality, the presence of the never-&iling spring, all are favorable (see Stan- ley, Sinai and Palest, p. 845 sq. ; Thomson, Land and , Booky i, 228 sq.). The terrace on which the tradition- ary structure stands commands a noble view over the whole plain of Esdrnlon, fh>m the banks of the Kiabon down at the bottom of the steep declivity, away to the distant hill of Gilboa, at whose base stood the royal I city of Jezreel, To the 850 prophets, ranged donbt- I less on the wide upland sweep, just beneath the ter- I race, to the multitudes of people, many of whom may ' have remained on the plain, the altar of Elijah would I be in full view, and they could all see, in the evening twilight, that " the fire of the Lord fell, and conFumed j the burnt-sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and { the dust, and licked up the water'* (ver. 88). The people then, trembling with fear and indignation, I seized, at El^ah's bidding, the prophets of Baal ; " and Elijah brought them down to the brook^ishon, ' and slew them there." On the lower declivities of the I mountain is a mound called Tell el-Kusis, **the Hill 1 of the Priests," which probably marks the very scene of the execution. May not the present name of the I Kishon itself have originated in this tragic event ? It is called Nahr tl-Mokatta, **the River of Slaughter." The prophet went up again to the altar, which was tiear, bnt not vpon the summit of the mountain. WhUe he prayed, he said to his servant, " Go up now, and look toward the sea." The sea is not visible tnim the ter- race, but a few minutes* ascent leads to a peak which conmiands 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.