We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on our web pages. We share images and information with Wikipedia. We also donate to Wikipedia, & would suggest that others do the same. Mukhraka, which means �burned place,� is is the place where Elijah faced off against the prophets of Baal, and God sent down fire from Heaven. One of the Old Testament�s most spectacular contests between Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, and a pagan deity, Baal � took place here on the south-eastern summit of Mount Carmel. Since Mount Carmel is actually a coastal range rather than a mountain, it stretches south-east from the Mediterranean Sea, with the city of Haifa sloped up against it. From Mukhraka there is a superb view of the plain of Esdraelon, and of southern Galilee. Also located on the plain below is the Kishon brook, where Elijah took the priests of Baal and had them put to death. Even during ancient times Mukhraka was considered a sacred place. It is often cited in the Old Testament for its beauty and fertility. Even the 6th-century Greek mathematician Pythagoras, is recorded to have visited Mount Carmel, because of its reputation for sacredness, stating that it was �the most holy of all mountains, and access was forbidden to many.� At the western edge of Mount Carmel is Stella Maris Monastery, the world headquarters of the Carmelites, a Catholic religious order. A small cave is located under the monastery, and it is held by Christian tradition to be a place where Elijah occasionally lived. Opposite the monastery, a footpath leads downward towards the Mediterranean Sea toward another grotto called Elijah�s Cave. Here the prophet Elijah is said to have meditated before his encounter with the priests of Baal. The cave is also thought to be where Elijah established a �School Of Prophets.� From Kings 1 we learn in verse 16:30 that successive kings �did evil in the sight of the Lord.� For example, King Ahab had married the Phoenician princess Jezebel. She then turned his allegiance from Yahweh; to her god Baal, & had Yahweh�s prophets slaughtered. So Elijah called upon Ahab to assemble the 450 priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. There he challenged the priests to call for fire from Baal to light a sacrifice. Baal failed to respond to the priests� cries. Then Elijah rebuilt the ruined altar of the Lord, and offered another sacrifice. Immediately fire from heaven came down & consumed the offering, even though it had been soaked in water. "And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word." I Kings, Chapter 18: 36.

The easy way to get to Mount Carmel, is to fly into the Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport is close to Jerusalem, which is about 5 miles away. The Ben Gurion International Airport, (IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG), also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag, is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel. It was named the best airport in the Middle East by the ACI organisation.[ The airport is located near the city of Lod, 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv. It is operated by the Israel Airports Authority, a government-owned corporation that manages all public airports and border crossings in the State of Israel. The Ben Gurion International Airport is considered one of the world's most secure airports, with a security force that includes both police officers and IDF soldiers. There are several hotels in or near Jerusalem. There are several Guided Tour Agencies offering standard city, and historical tours of Jerusalem, Israel and the surrounding areas. After arranging your flight we would suggest getting your hotel and then letting them arrange tours of the area for you. If you call the hotels Concierge Services ahead of your arrival, all of this can be pre-arranged for you. I do this all the time. It is safe and it works!!! I have never experienced a problem doing it this way! I have links to Priceline.Com on our page so that you can arrange your flight and hotel in the Jerusalem, Israel area.