SAREKTA (Hebr. Šarčpahát; Septuagint Ščpštátza). Formerly a city of Phoenicia, 15 km south of Sidon (v.). It became famous because the prophet Elijah, passing through there, multiplied flour and oil for a widow whose son he also healed (1 Kings 17:9-24). Jesus recalled this event in the synagogue of Nazareth to show the care taken by pagans for the prophets, unlike Israel (Luke 4:24-26). During the Byzantine period, the city extended along the sea for nearly 2 km, so much so that it was called Macracome (“long village”).
The memory of Elijah was associated with a church that is now replaced by a well called Hadir (“verdant”), a name that Muslims attribute to Elijah, while Christians often give it to St. George. In the time of the Crusades, it was the seat of a bishopric and was renowned for its gardens. After the fall of the Latin Kingdom, the city was abandoned, and its inhabitants moved to a hill to the east, founding the present village of Sarfand, which has 1,300 inhabitants. The memory of Elijah has always been venerated by pilgrims, as it still is today at the site of the ancient city.