Elisha succeeded the prophet Elijah as the main prophet in Israel.
Elisha was a northern Israelite prophet whose ministry began when Elijah placed his mantle over him, symbolically calling him to service. According to the biblical account, Elisha witnessed Elijah’s ascent into heaven and received Elijah’s prophetic mantle, marking the transition between the two ministries.
The Books of Kings describe Elisha performing miracles, advising Israelite kings, and confronting foreign threats. Stories associated with him include multiplying a widow’s oil, raising the Shunammite woman’s son, healing Naaman of leprosy, and recovering a lost axe head. His ministry is generally presented as an extension of Elijah’s prophetic role, though Elisha appears in more narratives.
Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah were also major prophets, but they belonged to different periods and traditions. Amos preached in the eighth century BCE, Isaiah served in Judah, and Jeremiah lived around the time of Jerusalem’s destruction by Babylon.