THE COMING UP OF A SUB-TROPICAL RAIN-STORM. 93 



together, at the King's command, to meet Elijah, and 

 witness the destruction of the Prophets of Baal. In 

 the closing verses of the same chapter the coming of 

 the rains is described as follows 



(41) "And Elijah said unto Ahab, get thee up: eat and 

 drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. (42) So 

 Ahab went up to eat and to drink: And Elijah went up to 

 the top of Carmel, and cast himself down upon the Earth, 

 and put his face between his knees. (43) And said to his 

 servant, Go up now, look towards the sea. And he went 

 up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said. 

 Go again seven times. (44) And it came to pass at the 

 seventh time, that he said Behold there ariseth a little 

 cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go 

 up, say unto Ahab, prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, 

 that the rain stop thee not. (45) And it came to pass in 

 the meanwhile, that the Heaven was black with clouds, and 

 wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and 

 went to Jezreel." * 



The Scripture here presents us with a lifelike picture 

 of the sudden coming up of a sub-tropical rain-storm. 

 The rainy season generally commences in the land ot 

 Canaan early in October, and the winds usually blow 

 at that time off the Mediterranean from the west but 

 when they fail the heat is excessive, f The King is 

 obliged, as we read, to hasten his departure homewards, 

 so that the torrential downpour, descending upon the 

 thirsty land, and rapidly converting dry ravines and 

 watercourses into raging torrents, may not stop him 

 on the way. It is a phenomena always most impressive 

 to a traveller when witnessed in its full intensity for 

 the first time. 



* /. Kings, Ch. xviii, verses 41 to 45 inclusive. 



j Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible Article "Canaan." 



