Joad the Man of God

The Holy Prophet Joad is the name by which the Orthodox Church calls the Old Testament prophet of whom the third book of Kings tells. He is sometimes also called Joel (not to be confused with Joel, one of the twelve minor prophets). The Russian Orthodox Church commemorates him on 12 April (30 March by the old calendar). He was a man of Judah, in the time of King Jeroboam, in the tenth century before Christ.

In the biblical text he is not named, but is called the man of God. In the Lives of the Saints composed by Saint Demetrius of Rostov it is stated that the prophet Joad came from Samaria, but in the Old Testament there is no indication of this.

According to the biblical account, the prophet was sent by the Lord from Judah to Bethel, to rebuke the king of Israel, Jeroboam I, for leading his people astray into idolatry. Joad appeared before Jeroboam when he was offering sacrifice at the pagan altar and spoke the prophecy. The king tried to signal with his hand to the guards to seize the prophet, but his hand suddenly withered. The king asked Joad to pray to God for the healing of his hand, and at his prayer he received healing. In sending the prophet to Jeroboam, the Lord had commanded him: You shall not eat bread or drink water there, nor return by the way you came (3 Kings 13:9). Therefore he refused to take food and drink in the king's house, and also the gift offered. But, returning by another way, he disobeyed the command and ate what was offered him by an old prophet who lived at Bethel (named Embi by Saint Demetrius of Rostov). For this Joad was killed by a lion, but his body remained untouched and was buried by the prophet who had tempted him, near his dwelling.