Elijah and the Widow
Learn about the historical context for this story of Elijah. The kingdom of Israel is no longer united, but has been split into two kingdoms, a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom. These stories take place in the northern kingdom.
Where did the widow live?
The widow lived near Sidon. The people who lived there were called Phoenicians, although they called themselves Canaanites in their own language. They were a collection of city states on the Mediterranean sea coast north of Israel. A city state is a city that is independent from any other country or nation and manages their own business. Tyre and Sidon were two major city states. Can you find them on the map below?
Zarephath was a town a few miles south of Sidon close to the Israel border.
Kordas, based on Alvaro's work, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com, CC BY-SA 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons
What is a widow?
A widow is a woman whose husband has died. In that time period, it was hard for woman to find work or money on their own. This may explain why the widow has little food or money.
