What is Carmel in the Bible?
Mount Carmel is where Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal; the town of Carmel in Judah is where Nabal and Abigail live.
Carmel is the name of two places in the Old Testament. The better known is Mount Carmel, a height by the sea (Jeremiah 46:18) on the western edge of Asher's territory (Joshua 19:26).
Carmel in the Bible
Mount Carmel is a ridge in northern Israel that reaches the Mediterranean coast near modern Haifa. There Elijah has Ahab gather all Israel and the prophets of Baal, and later he prays at its top (1 Kings 18:19-20, 1 Kings 18:42). Elisha also goes to Mount Carmel, and the Shunammite woman comes to him there (2 Kings 2:25, 2 Kings 4:25).
The prophets use Carmel as a picture of fruitfulness, so its withering is a sign of judgment (Isaiah 35:2, Amos 1:2). The second Carmel is a town in the hill country of Judah, listed with Maon and Ziph (Joshua 15:55). Saul sets up a monument there after his campaign against Amalek (1 Samuel 15:12).
Nabal of Maon has his possessions at this Carmel and shears his sheep there, and David's servants come to Abigail there (1 Samuel 25:2, 1 Samuel 25:40).
- Name meaning
- Garden land, fruitful field
- Name origin
- Hebrew
- Role
- Mountain by the sea; town in Judah
- First mention
- Joshua 12:22
- Appearances in the Bible
- 25 mentions
Carmel in the Bible
Chapters that mention Carmel
Coloring pages with Carmel
Questions about Carmel
What is Carmel in the Bible?
Carmel is the name of two places in the Old Testament. The better known is Mount Carmel, a height by the sea (Jeremiah 46:18) on the western edge of Asher's territory (Joshua 19:26). Mount Carmel is a ridge in northern Israel that reaches the Mediterranean coast near modern Haifa. There Elijah has Ahab gather all Israel and the prophets of Baal, and later he prays at its top (1 Kings 18:19-20, 1 Kings 18:42). Elisha also goes to Mount Carmel, and the Shunammite woman comes to him there (2 Kings 2:25, 2 Kings 4:25). The prophets use Carmel as a picture of fruitfulness, so its withering is a sign of judgment (Isaiah 35:2, Amos 1:2). The second Carmel is a town in the hill country of Judah, listed with Maon and Ziph (Joshua 15:55). Saul sets up a monument there after his campaign against Amalek (1 Samuel 15:12). Nabal of Maon has his possessions at this Carmel and shears his sheep there, and David's servants come to Abigail there (1 Samuel 25:2, 1 Samuel 25:40).
What does the name Carmel mean?
The name Carmel means “Garden land, fruitful field”. Origin: Hebrew.
Where is Carmel first mentioned in the Bible?
Carmel is first mentioned in Joshua 12:22.
How many times is Carmel mentioned in the Bible?
Number of mentions in the Bible: 25.