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Elisha
(אֱלִישׁ
ַע "My Elohim|God is salvation",
Standard Hebrew Elišaʿ, Tiberian Hebrew
ʾĔlîšaʿ) was the son of
Shaphat of Abel-meholah; he became the attendant
and disciple of Elijah (Books of Kings|1 Kings
19:16-19).  His name first occurs in the command
given to Elijah to anoint him as his successor (1
Kings 19:16). 

On his way from Sinai to Damascus, Elijah found
Elisha ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen. He went
over to him, threw his mantle over Elisha's
shoulders, and at once adopted him as a son,
investing him
with the prophetic office (comp. Gospel of
Luke|Luke 9:61,62). Elisha accepted this call
about four years before the death
of Israel's King Ahab.  For the next seven or
eight years Elisha became Elijah's close attendant
until Elijah he was taken up
into heaven. During all these years we hear
nothing of Elisha
except in connection with the closing scenes of
Elijah's life.

After Elijah, Elisha was accepted as the leader of
the sons of
the prophets, and became noted in Israel. He
possessed,
according to his own request, "a double portion"
of Elijah's
spirit (Books of Kings|2 Kings 2:9); and for sixty
years (892-832 BC) held the office of "prophet in
Israel" (2 Kings 5:8).

After Elijah's departure, Elisha returned to
Jericho, and
there healed the spring of water by casting salt
into it (2
Kings 2:21). We next find him at Bethel (2:23),
where, with the
sternness of his master, he curses the youths (in
the context of that society, young adults) who
have come out and ridiculed him as a prophet of
God: "Go up, thou bald head." The youths mockingly
tell Elisha to follow his master in a chariot to
heaven, and irreverently make fun of his
appearance. Turning around to face these misfits,
Elisha pronounces a curse upon them in the name of
the LORD. The judgment at once takes effect, for
God regards dishonour done to his prophet as
dishonour done to himself. Two she-bears come out
of the woods and maul 42 of the youths.

Elisha is next encountered in Scripture when he
predicts a fall of rain when the army of Jehoram
was faint from thirst (2 Kings 3:9-20).  Other
miracles Elisha accomplishes include multiplying
the poor widow's cruse of oil (4:1-7), restoring
to life the son of the woman of Shunem (4:18-37),
and multiplying the twenty loaves of new barley
into a sufficient supply for an hundred men
(4:42-44).  During the military incursions of
Syria into Israel, Elisha cures Naaman the Syrian
of his leprosy (5:1-27), punishes his servant
Gehazi for his falsehood and his greed, and
recovers an axe lost in the waters of the Jordan
River|Jordan (6:1-7).  He administered the miracle
at Dothan, half-way on the road between Samaria
and Jezreel Valley|Jezreel, and at the siege of
Samaria by the king of Syria, Elisha prophesied
about the terrible sufferings of the people of
Samaria and their eventual relief (2 Kings
6:24-7:2).

Elisha then journeyed to Damascus and anointed
Hazael king over Syria (2 Kings 8:7-15);
thereafter he directs one of the sons of the
prophets to anoint Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat,
king of Israel, instead of Ahab. 

Years later, Elisha is found on his death-bed in
his own house (2 Kings 13:14-19). Joash, the
grandson of Jehu, comes to mourn over his
approaching departure, and utters the same words
as those of Elisha when Elijah was taken away,
indicating his value to him: "My father, my
father! the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen
thereof."

After his death, a dead body was laid in Elisha's
grave a year
after his burial. No sooner does it touch Elisha's
remains
than the man "revived, and stood up on his feet"
(2 Kings
13:20-21).
 
In the Qur'an he is known as Al-Yasa.
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eastons