Alijah

Alijah is a new coinage most likely an Americanized respelling of the ancient Biblical name Elijah. Elijah appears in the first and second Book of Kings. He was an important Israelite prophet in the 9th century B.C. whose purpose was to call Israelites back to the worship of one God (Yahweh) and away from the pagan cults which were gaining popularity at the time. Elijah was called upon by God himself. Fittingly, the name Elijah comes from the Hebrew meaning “Yahweh is God”. He is thought to have played an important role in maintaining the Jewish religion by recognizing just one God. In 2 Kings 2:11, Elijah is taken up to the heavens by a chariot of fire and seen no more. According to Jewish tradition, Elijah is still roaming the earth and will appear when it comes time to announce the Messiah. In Christian tradition, this is probably why they so closely associate John the Baptist (who announced the arrival of Jesus) with Elijah. Alijah could also be considered a mutated form of “Aliyah” which is either Arabic for “exalted one” or Hebrew for “up towards God” in reference to the Jewish journey to the Promised Land. In any case, Alijah is basically an invented name inspired by one of these other names and used primarily in the United States.