How Elijah started the fire?

[Big Bad Voodoo]

Hi UMers.

One of my favourite novels is Paulo Coelho s Fifth mountain. Its story about Elijah but in the first place its idealistic story about human will to survive. In my country Elijah is called Ilija Gromovnik (Elijah the Thunderer). Its interesting how Elijah took place of Slavic god Perun in some sense and of Greek God Zeus in Greece.

Anyway in Bible is written how Elijah defeat High priestes of Baal on mountain Carmel. (at least on my mother language that mountain is called Carmel.)

Elijah challange Baal priests. They will go on mountain Carmel and set up wood for fire. But then they will not burn pile of wood. They need to pray their God Baal to burn fire and Elijah will pray to Yahwe for same miracle. After Baal priests gave up, Elijah order that his pile of wood should be put water. And thats what happened. His pile become wet of water and soon thunder from the sky burn his pile. But does that realy water? Or Elijah done ancient chemistry trick? Is it possible that Elijah create fire from water?

As I heard some mix of quicklime, sulphur, niter and naphta could create liquid without smell and color. (?)

Or does Elijah use some ancient alchemy which we dont understand…

Anyway, people with chemistry knowledge are welcome and please save me from „Bible is myth-period“ posts.

Thanks in advance.

[Eldorado]

You should tell Billy Joel.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

"Wizard's First Rule: people are stupid.... given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true, or because they are afraid it might be true. People's heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs, and most of it is false, yet they think it all true... they can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet they are confident they can, and so are all the easier to fool.

...People need an enemy to feel a sense of purpose. It's easy to lead people when they have a sense of purpose. Sense of purpose is more important by far than the truth. In fact, truth has no bearing in this. Darken Rahl is providing them with an enemy, other than himself, a sense of purpose. People are stupid; they want to believe, so they do."

Well thats quote from fantasy book Wizards First Rule ( I recommand it to everyone ) but it sums how people are easy to trick to believe.

We all have been decive by illusions. Todays Magican(Illusionists) have tricks that realy make you wonder.

Im convinced that Moses and Elijah had knowledge about chemistry. Knowledge before knowledge. Ofcourse if we believe what Bible say.

Elijah thunder

Elijah could put water on Potassium metal which can cause explosive reactions.

Summon deamons.

Hydrogen peroxide and sodium iodide .Often called elephant toothpaste.

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Edited October 16, 2012 by the L

[Big Bad Voodoo]

Greek fire

Potassium Chlorate and sugar which can make flame thrower.

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[Big Bad Voodoo]

Moses snake (Carbon snake)

or

Pharaoh snake

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[Big Bad Voodoo]

Ancient people could think all kinds of things. Alchemists in those days might know something that we dont. For example we still dont quite understand Briggs–Rauscher reaction.

Its a mix of water, hydrogen peroxide, soluble starch, potassium iodate, sulfuric acid, malonic acid and manganese sulfate. Cocktail start changing colors.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

Or look at this. Its called Halloween reaction or Nassau Reaction.

First we mix sodium bisulfate, mercury chloride and then add potassium. Suddenly liquid become black.

I can imagine alchemists who stand a side of table and counting and on right moment say magic word that water change color.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

As I understand all elements in the first column of the periodic table except hydrogen are reactive to water. So called alkali metals.