Raising The Dead
Gird up thy loins, said Elisha to his servant Gehazi (when the Shunamite woman implored him to raise her son to life), and take my staff in thine hand. If any one meet thee, salute him not; but lay this staff on the boy’s face, and his soul will return to him again.
So Gehazi took the prophet’s staff with joy, for he had long been wishing to get hold of it, that he, too, might work a miracle. As he was hurrying along, Jehu called out to him, Whither away so fast, Gehazi? To raise one from the dead, says Gehazi, and here is the staff of the prophet.
Jehu and a curious crowd from all the towns and villages on the way hurried after to see one rise from the dead. Gehazi with great alacrity hurried along, the mob with him, and, entering the Shunamite’s house, he laid the staff on the face of the dead child; but there was neither voice nor movement. He turned the staff about, placed it in different positions, to the right and to the left, above, below; but the child awoke not. Gehazi was confounded, and the mob hooted at him. Ashamed, he returned to the prophet, and said, The boy does not wake up.
The prophet took his staff, hastened to Shunem, entered the house, and closed the door against all spectators. He prayed to the Lord, and then went to the corpse, placed himself on the child, his mouth to the child’s mouth, his eyes to the child’s eyes till the child’s body became warm. With what did he warm the dead to Life? With that silent, humble prayer, and with the breathing of an unselfish, disinterested love. Here, take thy son again, said the prophet to the mother; and the self-seeking, vain Gehazi stood confounded and ashamed.
—The Talmud.
When, in the distant future, the historian searches the world for the most sacred acre known to humanity he will find on it a home.
Alternate Reading: Acts 25:1-12.