Prophet
Prophet Obadiah, Prophet
IX–VIII вв. до Р.Х.
Also known as: Авдиас (греко-славянская передача имени)
The holy Prophet Obadiah (Avdias, Abdias) — an Old Testament prophet, the fourth of the 12 minor prophets, steward at the court of the wicked King Ahab, who secretly sheltered persecuted prophets of the Lord; author of the shortest book of the Old Testament.
The holy prophet Obadiah (rendered in Greek/Church Slavonic sources also as "Abdias") came from the village of Vitharama near Shechem and served as steward at the court of the wicked King Ahab of Israel.
When Ahab's wife Jezebel was slaughtering the Lord's prophets, Obadiah secretly hid and fed a hundred of them in caves. He later left royal service to follow the prophet Elijah.
He is the author of the shortest book of the Old Testament, the Book of Obadiah, a single chapter foretelling the destruction of Edom and the future restoration of Israel.
His feast is kept on November 19/December 2.
IMPORTANT CORRECTION: the entry's category has been corrected from "martyr" to "prophet" — Obadiah was not put to death for the faith, but is glorified as an Old Testament seer and righteous steward.