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After a little while Elijah came to king Ahab, according to God's
will, to inform him that rain was coming. Now the famine had seized upon
the whole country, and there was a great want of what was necessary for
sustenance, insomuch that it was after the recovery of the widow's son
of Sarepta, God sent not only men that wanted it, but the earth itself
also, which did not produce enough for the horse and the other beasts of
what was useful for them to feed on, by reason of the drought. So the king
called for Obadiah, who was steward over his cattle, and said to him, that
he would have him go to the fountains of water, and to the brooks, that
if any herbs could be found for them, they might mow it down, and reserve
it for the beasts. And when he had sent persons all over the habitable
earth 1
to discover the prophet Elijah, and they could not find him, he bade Obadiah
accompany him. So it was resolved they should make a progress, and divide
the ways between them; and Obadiah took one road, and the king another.
Now it happened that the same time when queen Jezebel slew the prophets,
that this Obadiah had hidden a hundred prophets, and had fed them with
nothing but bread and water. But when Obadiah was alone, and absent from
the king, the prophet Elijah met him; and Obadiah asked him who he was;
and when he had learned it from him, he worshipped him. Elijah then bid
him go to the king, and tell him that I am here ready to wait on him. But
Obadiah replied, "What evil have I done to thee, that thou sendest
me to one who seeketh to kill thee, and hath sought over all the earth
for thee? Or was he so ignorant as not to know that the king had left no
place untouched unto which he had not sent persons to bring him back, in
order, if they could take him, to have him put to death?" For he told
him he was afraid lest God should appear to him again, and he should go
away into another place; and that when the king should send him for Elijah,
and he should miss of him, and not be able to find him any where upon earth,
he should be put to death. He desired him therefore to take care of his
preservation; and told him how diligently he had provided for those of
his own profession, and had saved a hundred prophets, when Jezebel slew
the rest of them, and had kept them concealed, and that they had been sustained
by him. But Elijah bade him fear nothing, but go to the king; and he assured
him upon oath that he would certainly show himself to Ahab that very day.
1 Josephus, in his present copies, says, that a little while rain upon the earth; whereas, in our other copies, it is after many days, 1 Kings 18:1. Several years are also intimated there, and in Josephus, sect. 2, as belonging to this drought and famine; nay, we have the express mention of the third year, which I suppose was reckoned from the recovery of the widow's son, and the ceasing of this drought in Phmuiela (which, as Menander informs us here, lasted one whole year); and both our Savior and St. James affirm, that this drought lasted in all three years and six months. as their copies of the Old Testament then informed them, Luke 4:25; James 5:17. Josephus here seems to mean, that this drought affected all the habitable earth, and presently all the earth, as our Savior says it was upon all the earth, Luke 4:25. They who restrain these expressions to the land of Judea alone, go without sufficient authority or examples.
Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.
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