Ożywienie zmarłych w cyklu opowiadań o Eliaszu i Elizeuszu

The plot in the Elijah and Elisha cycle is based on the multilevel contest: between kings and prophets on a level of bistory, between drought and rain on a level of nature, between Baal, the god ofCanaanites and Yahweh, the God of Israel on a level of religion, and ultimately between death and life on a level of human existence. This last one is a main theme of two episodes in l Kings 17,8-24 and 2 Kings 4,8-37. In the first text, despite the life-sustaining miracle of inexhaustible supplies, the son of the widow from Zarephath, Baal's territory, dies. Thus it is no longer a question of finding water or food, or even a matter of preventing possible death from starvation. It is ratber a matter of overcoming actual death. Through Elijah's action of stretching bimself out upon the dead boy, he is restored to life and returned to his mother. In the second text there is no poor widow and ber son facing starvation, but a rich woman from Shunem with no children. Through Elisha's announcement she miraculously conceived and gave birth to son. However this child is bom only to die. With the death of the boy the real issue of the story is now: can the  man of God revive the dead? The two stage action of the prophet results in the resuscitation of the boy. And again Yahweh, the God of Israel, appears to be the God of the living, not the God of the dead.