 Ahab, a great king of the Israelites, has fallen under the spell of Jezebel, a daughter of the King of the Sidonians. He has rejected the Israelites  God and embraced Jezebel s religion: the worship of the idol Baal. At Jezebel s command, Ahab has ordered the execution of the prophets of Israel, replacing them with Baal s false prophets. But one man, Elijah, filled with power of the true God, directly challenges Ahab and Jezebel. He pronounces God s curse. " No rain will fall on Israel until the people reject Baal and return to God. As the God of Israel liveth no rain shall fall until I call on the Lord to deliver it." God commands Elijah to escape to the desert in the East, where God provides water and food from Heaven for His Prophet. Elijah longs to return to Israel, to save his people. But he is obedient to God. God commands Elijah to go and show himself to Ahab. Elijah tells Ahab to gather the prophets of Baal and meet him on Mount Carmel, where sacrifices are to be placed on two altars. " Let us call on our Gods," he says. " The God that answers with fire is the true God." The prophets of Baal cry out in vain to their idol. When Elijah prays humbly to God, God sends down fire, accepting Elijah s offering. The people. Realizing at last that there is only one true God, kill the prophets of Baal, and God sends the rains again, ending His people s despair.