Elijah’s Cave in Haifa

A Holy site to Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze. Elijah’s Cave (also called a Grotto) is the traditional place where Elijah prayed before challenging priests of Baal as reported in 1 Kings 18. And some claim also the place where he hid from Queen Jezebel after the 500 priests of Baal were executed. However, during the time of Elijah, the area belonged to Phoenicia and there is evidence the Phoenicians had a cult shrine in the cave. The earliest record of this Elijah tradition dates to 1107 AD (Crusader Period).

A separate tradition says Mary & Joseph’s family rested here on their return from Egypt on their way to Nazareth, Matt. 2:19-23. This is not biblical and geographically very unlikely; the cave is way off the main highway, called the Via Maris, and is in the opposite direction from the route to Nazareth.