July 20th-The Prophet Elijah

The Prophet Elijah is a favorite Saint of the Greeks. There are many people who carry his name. This is quite surprising as he is a personality of the Old Testament,with which Greek culture is not particularly familiar, apart from St. Anna and St. Elizabeth that are quite popular names,too. Greece had a strong religious and philosophical tradition before the spread of Christianity, that is why the Jewish side of the Bible didn't particularly fit with the Greek way of thought.

But there is an explanation to Prophet Elijah's popularity, if I may phrase it like that. His feast is associated with the mountaintop worship of the sun, that is why almost all churches you find in the countryside are situated on hilltops and mountaintops and bear his name.

His dipiction as ascending to heaven with a charriot is reminiscent of the Sun's charriot, a very popular notion in Ancient Greek religion.

Last but not least his very name Elijah, pronounced Ilias in Greek is very similar to the Greek word for the sun, Ilios. Try to say it and you'll find a smile popping up in your face.
No wonderm, then that he fitted so well with Greek menatlity and is so popular among Greek people.