Mount Carmel is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. A number of towns are situated there, most notably the city of Haifa, Israel's third largest city, located on the northern and western slopes. The range is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Due to the lush vegetation on the sloped hillside, and many caves on the steeper side, Carmel became the haunt of criminals. In ancient Canaanite culture, high places were frequently considered to be sacred, and Mount Carmel appears to have been no exception. In mainstream Jewish, Christian, and Islamic thought, Elijah is associated with the mountain, and he is regarded as having sometimes resided on the mountain. The Bible's book of 1 Kings 18, records a showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. In that account, the God of Elijah sends fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice of testing, proving which diety is the true and living one. The event takes place on this mountain. -Nate Loper