Where was Elijah taken up into heaven?

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Accepted Answer

East of the Jordan, opposite Jericho: Elijah and Elisha crossed the river on dry ground, and as they walked on, a chariot of fire parted them and “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven”. The Bible names no spot beyond the river. The map point for the Jordan stands about 16 km from Jericho and 31 km from Jerusalem in a straight line; tradition shows the place at Elijah's Hill, Tell al-Kharrar, in Wadi al-Kharrar on the Jordanian bank, beside the ford of al-Maghtas that is also held to be the place of Jesus' baptism, about 11 km from Jericho. The last journey is told stage by stage. “Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal”, then “they went down to Beth-el”, then “they came to Jericho”, and at each place Elisha refused to leave him. At the Jordan “fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off”, and “Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither”. Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit, saw him taken and cried, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof”; then he struck the water with the fallen mantle and crossed back alone. Since the road “went down” to Bethel, the Gilgal of this chapter is often put on the hills north of Bethel, at Jiljiliya, where the map follows OpenBible; others take it for the Gilgal by Jericho. The place echoes two others. Moses had died on Mount Nebo “over against Jericho”, about 16 km beyond the river point, and Israel had crossed the Jordan dry-shod into the land at the same reach; Elijah leaves it the way they came. Malachi promised, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD”, and Jesus said of John, who baptized at this ford, “this is Elias, which was for to come”. The year is not given: the story stands after the death of Ahaziah of Israel, about 852 BC, and Elisha is already named as Elijah's servant in the next reign, so the map uses about 850 BC; a letter from Elijah to Jehoram of Judah in Chronicles is read either as sent earlier or as written beforehand.