What happens when a divided people are forced to choose—and heaven responds with fire?

In this episode of Discover Your Roots, host Avery Chenault journeys to Mount Carmel, the dramatic ridge where the prophet Elijah stood alone against 450 prophets of Baal and called down fire from heaven. Joined by biblical scholar Dr. Luke Bray, this episode brings the geography, history, and spiritual weight of 1 Kings 18 vividly to life.

You’ll explore why Mount Carmel was the perfect stage for this confrontation, how Israel’s spiritual compromise set the scene for Elijah’s bold challenge, and what it meant when God answered—not with words, but with consuming fire. From the meaning of Carmel as “God’s garden mountain” to the showdown that exposed false gods and turned hearts back to the Lord, this story is far more than a dramatic moment—it’s a call to faith without divided loyalty.

This is Scripture set in its original landscape, a story of fire, repentance, and renewal—still speaking powerfully to us today.

Recommended Resources:

The IVP Bible Background Commentary by Craig S. Keener

The Sacred Bridge: Carta's Atlas of the Biblical World

The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible by Michael S. Heiser

The Way of the Sea by Dr. Luke Bray (coming soon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CBN5ZVVG?ccs_id=0e311a9b-6598-4020-8138-efa22b117266)