ELISEUS ('Elīlā' = "God Saves"). - Prophet, successor of Elijah (v.). He was the son of Shaphat, a native of Abel-meholah, southeast of Beth-shan (1 Kings 19:16). A wealthy landowner (1 Kings 19:19), he joyfully responded to Elijah's symbolic gesture consecrating him prophet and his successor on the part of Yahweh (1 Kings 19:19-21). A devoted disciple of Elijah (2 Kings 3:11; cf. ch. 2) for about 6 years (2 Kings 1:17), at the latter's death he inherited his mantle and two thirds of the charismatic virtue (2 Kings 2:9 ff. Heb.), that is, the portion that in an inheritance belonged to the firstborn (Deut. 21:17). As heir and successor of Elijah he was immediately recognized by the so-called "disciples of the prophets," who had him as their head (2 Kings 2:12-15; cf. 6:1-7).
Unlike Elijah, E. retains his habits of a well-to-do bourgeois: he dresses normally (cf. 2 Kings 2:12), lives in cities, has a house in Samaria (2 Kings 2:19-23 ff.; 6:8-20, 32; cf. 4:8-10) and a servant, Gehazi, who always accompanies him. He was prophet of the kingdom of Israel under Joram (853-842), son of Ahab, Jehu (842-815), Jehoahaz (814-798) and Jehoash (798-783); he died around 790.
E. cooperated energetically in the fulfillment of Elijah's prophecies concerning the triumph of Yahwism and the destruction of the dynasty of Ahab. His entire activity is the demonstration that salvation comes only from Yahweh; this is precisely the idea expressed by his name. He often intervened in public life. With the army he marches against Moab; he saves it from discouragement over the lack of water and procures victory for it (2 Kings 3:9-25). He reveals to Joram the ambushes of Ben-hadad and leads to Samaria the Syrian soldiers sent to capture him (2 Kings 6:8-12); he announces the end of the terrible siege of Samaria, through the intervention of Yahweh (2 Kings 6:24; 7:20).
He goes to Damascus to carry out the mission entrusted by God to Elijah (cf. 1 Kings 19:25); to Hazael he reveals that he will kill the sick king, will obtain the kingdom and will do great harm to Israel (2 Kings 8:7-15). In the same way he chooses the most opportune moment to anoint, through one of his disciples, Jehu as king of Israel, while Joram is wounded and is at Jezreel (2 Kings 8:25-29). Jehu, to whom the words have been recalled
(phot. Anderson)
ELISEO - Mosaic of the church of the Martorana (1148). Palermo.
of Elijah against the house of Ahab, he ferociously destroys all its members and kills all the worshippers of Baal (II Kings 9-10). Finally, to King Joash who visits him, the dying E. predicts that he will defeat the Arameans three times (II Kings 13, 14-19).
E. performed many miracles. He divided the waters of the Jordan with Elijah's mantle (II Kings 2, 14 ff.); with salt he made the spring of Jericho wholesome (ibid., 2, 19-22). He multiplied a widow's oil to free her from an exacting creditor (II Kings 4, 1-7); he obtained a son for the Shunammite woman who had given him hospitality and, when the child died of sunstroke, he raised him to life (ibid., 4, 8-37). He healed a harmful stew (ibid., 4, 38-41); he multiplied 20 loaves for a hundred people (ibid., 4, 42-44). He cured the Syrian Naaman of leprosy, and Naaman became a faithful Yahwist, and he punished the greed of Gehazi, transferring to him the former's leprosy (II Kings 5). At the touch of E.'s bones a dead man came back to life (II Kings 13, 20 f.). Cf. Ecclus. 48, 12-14.
St. Jerome mentions E.'s tomb near Samaria (In Abdiam: PL 25, 1099). The Church celebrates the feast of E. on June 14.
For the iconography v. ELIA.
Bibliography3 works
Francesco Spadafora