DUE: MONDAY MAY 13, 2013
As we have discussed in class, Elijah is surrounded by an aura of mystery: we know nothing of his parentage; his tribe of origin and birthplace are unknown (though he is identified as a “resident of Gilead”); we are ignorant about his early life and call to prophecy; he travels widely, performs miracles, and of greatest importance, defies a conventional death, ascending to heaven in a fiery chariot instead.
Approximately four centuries after Elijah’s strange prophetic career came to a close, the prophet Malachi believed he would return to earth to fulfill another divine mission: “Behold, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the Lord. He shall reconcile parents with children, and children with their parents, so that, when I come, I do not strike the whole land with utter destruction” (Malachi 3:23-24).
Later on in rabbinic literature and folk legends, Elijah would take on a mythical role as the prophet who wanders the world generation after generation, protecting the weak and disadvantaged, humbling the arrogant who persecute the powerless. Capable of any disguise, he travels unrecognized through crowds of people, mysteriously appearing when needed and then just as mysteriously disappearing, revealing his identity on rare occasions only. It is fair to say that Elijah has captured the religious imagination of Jews as few other figures have.
The final project for 8th grade TaNaKh will focus on Elijah’s larger-than-life role in Jewish literature and liturgy. Choose ONE of the following. Please note the final project is in lieu of a final exam, and will count significantly toward your grade — along with other factors like participation, conduct, effort and attendance. Here are your choices:
1. Draw 3-4 pictures about Elijah, each telling a different story. You may wish to draw upon the biblical texts or folk stories we have studied (listed below) in creating your images. At least one of your pictures should place the prophet in a modern context. If Elijah came back today where would he go and whom would he visit? What would he look like? Each of your pictures should be accompanied by a paragraph or two explaining the setting and the reasons for depicting the prophet as you have.
2. Create a folktale about Elijah. While drawing upon the biblical texts and folk stories we studied in class for inspiration, your literary effort should be creative, and not a simple retelling of a traditional story. I would encourage you to read Elie Wiesel’s powerful short story, An Evening Guest (copies will be available from Cassie Vichozsky as of 4/22, and will also be distributed at our next class), which places Elijah in a small Hungarian town in 1944 as a messenger sent to warn Jews about the Nazi death camps — it’s a great example of taking the traditional picture of Elijah . . . and then turning it inside out in a very compelling way. Your folktale should be no shorter than 3 pages (typed, double-spaced, 12-font type).
3. Research references to Elijah in the siddur and on religious occasions. At what ceremonies and celebrations do we invoke his name? Where in our liturgy does he appear? When and how did Elijah become connected with these particular rituals/prayers? Why do we mention his name at these specific times/places? Your research paper should be 4 pages at a minimum (typed, double-spaced, 12-font type).
4. Elijah has also captured the religious imagination of Christians and Muslims. Research how Elijah is depicted in Christian and Muslim Scripture and compare/contrast this with the ways in which Judaism describes his role. What are the similarities and differences in the Jewish understanding of the prophet Elijah and the way the other Abrahamic faiths view him? Your research paper should be 4 pages at a minimum (typed, double-spaced, 12-font type).
We have studied the following sources about Elijah:
First Kings, chapters 17, 18 & 19; Second Kings, chapter 2; Folk stories about Elijah (handout distributed in class from Peninah Schram’s Jewish Stories One Generation Tells Another).
First Kings, chapter 21; Malachi, chapter 3; Elie Wiesel’s short story, An Evening Guest (available from Cassie as of 4/22).