A Divine Showdown

This reflection is part of the ongoing Forest Hills Haftorah Series. The rest of the content can be found here: https://www.sefaria.org/groups/FHJC-Haftorah-Series .

The 9th century was a period of tremendous turmoil for the Northern Kingdom; A period of both civil and divine war as two gods were vying for the sole devotion of the Israelites, both with the most fanatical of supporters.
On one hand there was YHWH, to Whom Solomon's Temple in the south, as well as the northern sanctuaries of Dan and Bethel, would be solely and uncompromisingly dedicated. On the other hand there was the Phoenecian and Canaanite-native deity Baal, the storm god.
When King Ahab of the Omride dynasty took the Phoenecian princess Jezebel for his wife, the tide seemed to turn in Baal's favor:

מלכים א ט״ז

I Kings 16

(31) Not content to follow the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he [Ahab] took as wife Jezebel daughter of King Ethbaal of the Phoenicians, and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. (32) He erected an altar to Baal in the temple of Baal which he built in Samaria.

the Temple of Baal in Palmyra, Syria, dating back to the 3rd millenium BCE!!!

While the narrator voices his displeasure with King Ahab and blames him explicitly for building the altars to Baal, note that this is stated directly after we learn of King Ahab's marriage to Jezebel. And as the narrative continues, it becomes ever clearer that Jezebel is the driving force behind King Ahab's dedication to Baal.
Her zealousness is one of the TaNaKh's most extreme instances of religious fanaticism. As a demonstration of its extent, here is how the narrator of Kings speaks favorably of Obadiah, one of her servants:

An act of bravery

מלכים א י״ח

(ג) וַיִּקְרָ֣א אַחְאָ֔ב אֶל־עֹבַדְיָ֖הוּ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַבָּ֑יִת וְעֹבַדְיָ֗הוּ הָיָ֥ה יָרֵ֛א אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃ (ד) וַיְהִי֙ בְּהַכְרִ֣ית אִיזֶ֔בֶל אֵ֖ת נְבִיאֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּקַּ֨ח עֹבַדְיָ֜הוּ מֵאָ֣ה נְבִאִ֗ים וַֽיַּחְבִּיאֵ֞ם חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים אִישׁ֙ בַּמְּעָרָ֔ה וְכִלְכְּלָ֖ם לֶ֥חֶם וָמָֽיִם׃

I Kings 18

(3) Ahab had summoned Obadiah, the steward of the palace. Obadiah feared YHWH greatly. (4) And it had been, when Jezebel was killing off the prophets of YHWH, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and provided them with food and drink.

Obadiah hiding the prophets

While when we first meet Jezebel, we are not given any explicit reason as to why she would be so singularly and uncompromisingly devoted to Baal, we do have a clue if we read between the lines.
Note Jezebel's father's name: Ethbaal, or "with-Baal," a name similar in construct to Emmanuel, or "with-us-is-El" (Isaiah 7:14).
We don't learn anything more about Ethbaal from the TaNaKh, but there are two passages from the 1st century historical writings of Josephus which together fill in some details:

קדמוניות היהודים ח׳:י״ג:ב׳

...

The Antiquities of the Jews 8:13:2

Now Menander mentions this drought in his account of the acts of Ethbaal, king of the Tyrians; where he says thus: "Under him there was a want of rain from the month Hyperberetmus till the month Hyperberetmus of the year following; but when he made supplications, there came great thunders."

קדמות היהודים א׳:י״ח

והוא הומת בידי אחיו פלט אשר ירש את כסא מלכותו ומלך שמונה (חדשים, וימי חייו היו חמשים שנה. ואותו המית אתובעל‏¹¹הוא אתבעל שבמקרא (מלכים א' טז, לא). כהן עשתורת ומלך תחתיו), וימי חייו היו ארבעים ושמנה שנה וימי מלכותו שלשים ושתים שנה

Against Apion 1:18

Pheles took the kingdom [of Tyre] and reigned but eight months, though he lived fifty years: he was slain by *Ithobalus, the priest of Astarte, who reigned thirty-two years, and lived sixty-eight years.

*Itobalus is Ethbaal as mentioned in 1 Kings 16.

Even without these texts, we see from Ethbaal's name alone that he, and by extension Jezebel, come from a family devoted to Baal.
We then get more from these passages of Josephus, in which he is relying on the work of Menander of Ephesus, a 2nd-century BCE historian who specialized in Ancient Phoenecia and the Kings of Tyre.
In the first of these passages we see Ethbaal acting as priest and offering supplications during a time of drought; and having his prayers answered. While it does not say which god he offered his supplications to, logic would dictate that it was Baal, known throughout the ancient near-east as the Storm-god of rain and fertility, also known as He-who-rides-on-the-clouds (an epithet which would later be commandeered by YHWH Himself; see for example, Deuteronomy 33:26.)
In the second of the two, we see that Ethbaal was, in fact, a priest even before he was a king! While its true that he served as a priest to a goddess named Astarte, she in turn was but a lesser goddess in a pantheon ruled by Baal, the supreme Phoenecian deity. Servants of Astarte were no less servants of Baal.
more about this can be found in Baal's entry in the Brittannica encyclopedia online: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Baal-ancient-deity

the Phoenicians are in purple

What little background we now have goes a long way towards helping us understand the root of Jezebel's zeal, which - without suggesting that having clergy for parents results in fanaticism, of course! - we can speculate she inherited this from her family.

In previous Haftorah Limmuds, we learned about the "radical monotheists," of which Elijah was one of the greatest champions. (see The Nazirites.) How interesting that it is only just after we meet Jezebel that Elijah enters the scene.
Here are the verses above, but with just a bit more context on the end:

A dramatic entrance

מלכים א ט״ז:ל״א-י״ז:א׳

(לא) וַיְהִי֙ הֲנָקֵ֣ל לֶכְתּ֔וֹ בְּחַטֹּ֖אות יָרָבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־נְבָ֑ט וַיִּקַּ֨ח אִשָּׁ֜ה אֶת־אִיזֶ֗בֶל בַּת־אֶתְבַּ֙עַל֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ צִידֹנִ֔ים וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֣ד אֶת־הַבַּ֔עַל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ לֽוֹ׃ (לב) וַיָּ֥קֶם מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לַבָּ֑עַל בֵּ֣ית הַבַּ֔עַל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנָ֖ה בְּשֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃ (לג) וַיַּ֥עַשׂ אַחְאָ֖ב אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה וַיּ֨וֹסֶף אַחְאָ֜ב לַעֲשׂ֗וֹת לְהַכְעִיס֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִכֹּ֨ל מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ לְפָנָֽיו׃ (לד) בְּיָמָ֞יו בָּנָ֥ה חִיאֵ֛ל בֵּ֥ית הָאֱלִ֖י אֶת־יְרִיחֹ֑ה בַּאֲבִירָ֨ם בְּכֹר֜וֹ יִסְּדָ֗הּ ובשגיב [וּבִשְׂג֤וּב] צְעִירוֹ֙ הִצִּ֣יב דְּלָתֶ֔יהָ כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֔ר בְּיַ֖ד יְהוֹשֻׁ֥עַ בִּן־נֽוּן׃ (ס) (א) וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֜י מִתֹּשָׁבֵ֣י גִלְעָד֮ אֶל־אַחְאָב֒ חַי־יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָמַ֣דְתִּי לְפָנָ֔יו אִם־יִהְיֶ֛ה הַשָּׁנִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה טַ֣ל וּמָטָ֑ר כִּ֖י אִם־לְפִ֥י דְבָרִֽי׃ (ס)

I Kings 16:31-17:1

(31) Not content to follow the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel daughter of King Ethbaal of the Phoenicians, and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. (32) He erected an altar to Baal in the temple of Baal which he built in Samaria. (33) Ahab also made a sacred post. Ahab did more to vex the YHWH, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel who preceded him.

...

(1) Elijah the Tishbite, an inhabitant of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As YHWH lives, the god of Israel, before whom I stand! There will be no dew or rain except at my bidding.”

Like the name Ethbaal, the name "Elijah" is deeply symbolic, speaking to the role Elijah would play moving forward - "my-god-is-YA(WH).
What follows is one of the most dramatic showdowns in the TaNaKh, which evokes ancient epics in which one people's hero issues a brazen and open challenge to the opposition.
Recall, for example, how the stage was set for David's take-down of Goliath:

Single-combat

שמואל א י״ז

(ד) וַיֵּצֵ֤א אִֽישׁ־הַבֵּנַ֙יִם֙ מִמַּחֲנ֣וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים גָּלְיָ֥ת שְׁמ֖וֹ מִגַּ֑ת גָּבְה֕וֹ שֵׁ֥שׁ אַמּ֖וֹת וָזָֽרֶת׃ (ה) וְכ֤וֹבַע נְחֹ֙שֶׁת֙ עַל־רֹאשׁ֔וֹ וְשִׁרְי֥וֹן קַשְׂקַשִּׂ֖ים ה֣וּא לָב֑וּשׁ וּמִשְׁקַל֙ הַשִּׁרְי֔וֹן חֲמֵשֶׁת־אֲלָפִ֥ים שְׁקָלִ֖ים נְחֹֽשֶֽׁת׃ (ו) וּמִצְחַ֥ת נְחֹ֖שֶׁת עַל־רַגְלָ֑יו וְכִיד֥וֹן נְחֹ֖שֶׁת בֵּ֥ין כְּתֵפָֽיו׃ (ז) וחץ [וְעֵ֣ץ] חֲנִית֗וֹ כִּמְנוֹר֙ אֹֽרְגִ֔ים וְלַהֶ֣בֶת חֲנִית֔וֹ שֵׁשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת שְׁקָלִ֖ים בַּרְזֶ֑ל וְנֹשֵׂ֥א הַצִּנָּ֖ה הֹלֵ֥ךְ לְפָנָֽיו׃ (ח) וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֗ד וַיִּקְרָא֙ אֶל־מַעַרְכֹ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם לָ֥מָּה תֵצְא֖וּ לַעֲרֹ֣ךְ מִלְחָמָ֑ה הֲל֧וֹא אָנֹכִ֣י הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֗י וְאַתֶּם֙ עֲבָדִ֣ים לְשָׁא֔וּל בְּרוּ־לָכֶ֥ם אִ֖ישׁ וְיֵרֵ֥ד אֵלָֽי׃ (ט) אִם־יוּכַ֞ל לְהִלָּחֵ֤ם אִתִּי֙ וְהִכָּ֔נִי וְהָיִ֥ינוּ לָכֶ֖ם לַעֲבָדִ֑ים וְאִם־אֲנִ֤י אֽוּכַל־לוֹ֙ וְהִכִּיתִ֔יו וִהְיִ֤יתֶם לָ֙נוּ֙ לַעֲבָדִ֔ים וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם אֹתָֽנוּ׃ (י) וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔י אֲנִ֗י חֵרַ֛פְתִּי אֶת־מַעַרְכ֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה תְּנוּ־לִ֣י אִ֔ישׁ וְנִֽלָּחֲמָ֖ה יָֽחַד׃

I Samuel 17

(4) A champion of the Philistine forces stepped forward; his name was Goliath of Gath, and he was six cubits and a span tall. (5) He had a bronze helmet on his head, and wore a breastplate of scale armor, a bronze breastplate weighing five thousand shekels. (6) He had bronze greaves on his legs, and a bronze javelin [slung] from his shoulders. (7) The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s bar, and the iron head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels; and the shield-bearer marched in front of him.

(8) He stopped and called out to the ranks of Israel and he said to them:

“Why should you come out to engage in battle? I am the Philistine [champion], and you are Saul’s servants. Choose one of your men and let him come down against me! (9) If he bests me in combat and kills me, we will become your slaves; but if I best him and kill him, you shall be our slaves and serve us!” (10) And the Philistine ended, “I herewith defy the ranks of Israel. Get me a man and let’s fight it out!”

below: Baal statue, in the Hecht museum in Haifa

In the case of Elijah, he certainly knows how to one-up Goliath. While it was customary, as Goliath did, for one champion to challenge the best of what the enemy can produce, Elijah declared that in representing YHWH, he can single-handedly take on all that those with loyalty to Baal can throw at him:

Against overwhelming odds

מלכים א י״ח

(יט) וְעַתָּ֗ה שְׁלַ֨ח קְבֹ֥ץ אֵלַ֛י אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־הַ֣ר הַכַּרְמֶ֑ל וְאֶת־נְבִיאֵ֨י הַבַּ֜עַל אַרְבַּ֧ע מֵא֣וֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁ֗ים וּנְבִיאֵ֤י הָֽאֲשֵׁרָה֙ אַרְבַּ֣ע מֵא֔וֹת אֹכְלֵ֖י שֻׁלְחַ֥ן אִיזָֽבֶל׃ (כ) וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח אַחְאָ֖ב בְּכָל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּקְבֹּ֥ץ אֶת־הַנְּבִיאִ֖ים אֶל־הַ֥ר הַכַּרְמֶֽל׃ (כא) וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ אֶל־כָּל־הָעָ֗ם וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ עַד־מָתַ֞י אַתֶּ֣ם פֹּסְחִים֮ עַל־שְׁתֵּ֣י הַסְּעִפִּים֒ אִם־יְהוָ֤ה הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְאִם־הַבַּ֖עַל לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֑יו וְלֹֽא־עָנ֥וּ הָעָ֛ם אֹת֖וֹ דָּבָֽר׃ (כב) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם אֲנִ֞י נוֹתַ֧רְתִּי נָבִ֛יא לַיהוָ֖ה לְבַדִּ֑י וּנְבִיאֵ֣י הַבַּ֔עַל אַרְבַּע־מֵא֥וֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁ֖ים אִֽישׁ׃ (כג) וְיִתְּנוּ־לָ֜נוּ שְׁנַ֣יִם פָּרִ֗ים וְיִבְחֲר֣וּ לָהֶם֩ הַפָּ֨ר הָאֶחָ֜ד וִֽינַתְּחֻ֗הוּ וְיָשִׂ֙ימוּ֙ עַל־הָ֣עֵצִ֔ים וְאֵ֖שׁ לֹ֣א יָשִׂ֑ימוּ וַאֲנִ֞י אֶעֱשֶׂ֣ה ׀ אֶת־הַפָּ֣ר הָאֶחָ֗ד וְנָֽתַתִּי֙ עַל־הָ֣עֵצִ֔ים וְאֵ֖שׁ לֹ֥א אָשִֽׂים׃ (כד) וּקְרָאתֶ֞ם בְּשֵׁ֣ם אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם וַֽאֲנִי֙ אֶקְרָ֣א בְשֵׁם־יְהוָ֔ה וְהָיָ֧ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲנֶ֥ה בָאֵ֖שׁ ה֣וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיַּ֧עַן כָּל־הָעָ֛ם וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ ט֥וֹב הַדָּבָֽר׃ (כה) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ לִנְבִיאֵ֣י הַבַּ֗עַל בַּחֲר֨וּ לָכֶ֜ם הַפָּ֤ר הָֽאֶחָד֙ וַעֲשׂ֣וּ רִאשֹׁנָ֔ה כִּ֥י אַתֶּ֖ם הָרַבִּ֑ים וְקִרְאוּ֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם וְאֵ֖שׁ לֹ֥א תָשִֽׂימוּ׃

I Kings 18

(19) [Elijah said to King Ahab] "Summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, together with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table!”

(20) Ahab sent orders to all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel.

(21) Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you keep hopping between two opinions? If YHWH is God, follow Him!; and if Baal, follow him!”

But the people answered him not a word.

(22) And Elijah said to the people, “I am the only prophet of YHWH left, while the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men! (23) Let two young bulls be given to us. Let them choose one bull, cut it up, and lay it on the wood, but let them not apply fire; I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and will not apply fire. (24) You will then invoke your god by name, and I will invoke the LORD by name; and let us agree: the god who responds with fire, that one is God.” And all the people answered, “Very good!” (25) Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull and prepare it first, for you are the majority; invoke your god by name, but apply no fire.”

Elijah then proceeds to taunt the hundreds of prophets of Baal every single step of the way, making both them and their god, the mighty King of the Phoenecian and Canaanite divine pantheon, seeming utterly foolish, as they pitifully beg Baal to accept their offering while nothing happens.

מלכים א י״ח:כ״ז-כ״ח

(כז) וַיְהִ֨י בַֽצָּהֳרַ֜יִם וַיְהַתֵּ֧ל בָּהֶ֣ם אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ קִרְא֤וּ בְקוֹל־גָּדוֹל֙ כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֣ים ה֔וּא כִּ֣י שִׂ֧יחַ וְכִֽי־שִׂ֛יג ל֖וֹ וְכִֽי־דֶ֣רֶךְ ל֑וֹ אוּלַ֛י יָשֵׁ֥ן ה֖וּא וְיִקָֽץ׃ (כח) וַֽיִּקְרְאוּ֙ בְּק֣וֹל גָּד֔וֹל וַיִּתְגֹּֽדְדוּ֙ כְּמִשְׁפָּטָ֔ם בַּחֲרָב֖וֹת וּבָֽרְמָחִ֑ים עַד־שְׁפָךְ־דָּ֖ם עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

I Kings 18:27-28

(27) And it was at noon, that Elijah mocked them, saying, “Shout louder! After all, he is a god. But he may be in conversation, he may be detained, or he may be on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and will wake up!”

(28) So they shouted louder, and gashed themselves with knives and spears, according to their practice, until the blood streamed over them.

And then finally, when the representative of Baal collapse due to exhaustion and blood-loss, Elijah steps forward:

מלכים א י״ח:ל״ו-ל״ט

(לו) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּעֲל֣וֹת הַמִּנְחָ֗ה וַיִּגַּ֞שׁ אֵלִיָּ֣הוּ הַנָּבִיא֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ יְהוָ֗ה אֱלֹהֵי֙ אַבְרָהָם֙ יִצְחָ֣ק וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַיּ֣וֹם יִוָּדַ֗ע כִּֽי־אַתָּ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַאֲנִ֣י עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ ובדבריך [וּבִדְבָרְךָ֣] עָשִׂ֔יתִי אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ (לז) עֲנֵ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ עֲנֵ֔נִי וְיֵֽדְעוּ֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה כִּֽי־אַתָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְאַתָּ֛ה הֲסִבֹּ֥תָ אֶת־לִבָּ֖ם אֲחֹרַנִּֽית׃ (לח) וַתִּפֹּ֣ל אֵשׁ־יְהוָ֗ה וַתֹּ֤אכַל אֶת־הָֽעֹלָה֙ וְאֶת־הָ֣עֵצִ֔ים וְאֶת־הָאֲבָנִ֖ים וְאֶת־הֶעָפָ֑ר וְאֶת־הַמַּ֥יִם אֲשֶׁר־בַּתְּעָלָ֖ה לִחֵֽכָה׃ (לט) וַיַּרְא֙ כָּל־הָעָ֔ם וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ יְהוָה֙ ה֣וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים יְהוָ֖ה ה֥וּא הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

I Kings 18:36-39

(36) When it was time to present the meal offering, the prophet Elijah came forward and said:

“O YHWH, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel! Let it be known today that You are god in Israel and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your bidding! (37) Answer me, O YHWH, answer me, that this people may know that You, O YHWH, are god; for You have turned their hearts backward!”

(38) Then fire from YHWH descended and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the earth; and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

(39) And all the people saw this, and flung themselves on their faces and cried out: “YHWH alone is the god, YHWH alone is the god!"

Remember what Jezebel had done to the prophets of YHWH? Well at this moment, with popular opinion on his side, Elijah seizes the opportunity and returns the favor:

Jezebel's act repaid

מלכים א י״ח:מ׳

(מ) וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ לָהֶ֜ם תִּפְשׂ֣וּ ׀ אֶת־נְבִיאֵ֣י הַבַּ֗עַל אִ֛ישׁ אַל־יִמָּלֵ֥ט מֵהֶ֖ם וַֽיִּתְפְּשׂ֑וּם וַיּוֹרִדֵ֤ם אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־נַ֣חַל קִישׁ֔וֹן וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֖ם שָֽׁם׃

I Kings 18:40

(40) Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal, let not a single one of them get away!”

They seized them, and Elijah took them down to the Wadi Kishon and slaughtered them there.

I imagine that this must have been a terrifying time for the northern Israelites. From one day to the next, you could never know which god you would be sentenced to death for serving! For a short while, it seemed like Jezebel and Ahab brought finality to this question. But then suddenly, Elijah, the long-haired wild-man, emerges from the desert and challenges their dominance; and in one fell swoop, the prophets of Baal are being publicly executed by the hundreds.

Our Haftorah is the aftermath of this showdown at Mount Camel. Ahab reports to Jezebel what had transpired, and she sends a message of fury to Elijah saying that he will pay for his life.
All of this seems to have taken an enormous toll on Elijah, who flees all the way to Beersheva (!!!), and seems intent to starve himself due to a combination of fatigue and frustration. It seems that as long as Jezebel and Ahab reigns, he will be hunted, and the people will continuously be pulled back towards Baal. When God asks him why he's in Beersheva, we get a sense of the depth of his exhaustion in his response:

מלכים א י״ט

(ט) וַיָּבֹא־שָׁ֥ם אֶל־הַמְּעָרָ֖ה וַיָּ֣לֶן שָׁ֑ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ מַה־לְּךָ֥ פֹ֖ה אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃ (י) וַיֹּאמֶר֩ קַנֹּ֨א קִנֵּ֜אתִי לַיהוָ֣ה ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י צְבָא֗וֹת כִּֽי־עָזְב֤וּ בְרִֽיתְךָ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶ֣יךָ הָרָ֔סוּ וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶ֖יךָ הָרְג֣וּ בֶחָ֑רֶב וָֽאִוָּתֵ֤ר אֲנִי֙ לְבַדִּ֔י וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃

I Kings 19

(9) There he went into a cave, and there he spent the night. And the word of YHWH came to him. He said to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?”

(10) He replied, “I am moved by zeal for YHWH, the God of Hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they are out to take my life.”

below: Elijah's route when fleeing Jezebel, starting from Mt. Carmel towards the top-left. The location of Mt. Horeb is pure speculation; we really have no idea where it is.

Elijah has been such a fierce warrior for the Almighty; But he is now showing that he has reached his limit. And so he is tasked with appointing his successor, who will continue the same struggle when Elijah moves on, as well as a new Israelite king to replace the disaster that is the Omride-dynasty:

A new regime

מלכים א י״ט:ט״ז-י״ז

(טז) וְאֵת֙ יֵה֣וּא בֶן־נִמְשִׁ֔י תִּמְשַׁ֥ח לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְאֶת־אֱלִישָׁ֤ע בֶּן־שָׁפָט֙ מֵאָבֵ֣ל מְחוֹלָ֔ה תִּמְשַׁ֥ח לְנָבִ֖יא תַּחְתֶּֽיךָ׃ (יז) וְהָיָ֗ה הַנִּמְלָ֛ט מֵחֶ֥רֶב חֲזָאֵ֖ל יָמִ֣ית יֵה֑וּא וְהַנִּמְלָ֛ט מֵחֶ֥רֶב יֵה֖וּא יָמִ֥ית אֱלִישָֽׁע׃

I Kings 19:16-17

(16) Anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet. (17) Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael shall be slain by Jehu, and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu shall be slain by Elisha.

While Elijah does not get around to anointing King Jehu, he does almost immediately appoint Elisha, and it is Elisha who will arrange for the anointing of Jehu. Elisha and Jehu then initiate what might be the bloodiest purge throughout the TaNaKh, in which they try to bring the Baal and YHWH struggle to an end, once and for all; a feat that could not be done without deceit and tremendous bloodshed.

below: Jezebel looking down her window at Jehu and his attendants, moments before her death

These were certainly dark and violent times, when champions on both sides felt like the very soul of the nation was at stake.
As fate, chance, or indomitable will (you decide) would have it, our god YHWH would win the day. As far as I know, there has not been a single person devoted to Baal in thousands of years, and Elijah is considered one of our greatest heroes of old, of whom we sing, invite to our celebrations, and anticipate his coming back to herald the next Davidic King.
Personally, as someone who believes that by virtue of being an Israelite I have a personal relationship with YHWH Whom I try to fear, to love, and constantly pester with my prayers daily, I cannot help but look back with pride on His having been able to overcome divine obstacles and ultimately wrest our devotion away from Baal.
But of course, the cost was high. And we have no way of knowing when our ancient heroes were truly doing His will, or when they either misunderstood, or maybe hastily reacted in a way that He never actually sanctioned.

And so here's the question I'll leave you with; In light of how things played out in the TaNaKh, does it seem like the bloodshed that was done in the name of YHWH, at least during the days of Elijah and Elisha, was inevitable? Or, could His champions have reasonably pursued the goal of winning over the Israelites by other means?
Of course none of us can know the answer. We are conjecturing about the ancient near east, which compared to our world today, may as well have been a whole different universe! But I find that the thought-experiments that such questions evoke can oftentimes be deeply meaningful and worthwhile.