St. Elias Brewing Company

The History Of St. Elias

Posted on June 18, 2009 with 1 Comment

Mount St. Elias rises 18,008 ft high,
in the St. Elias Mts. on the U.S.-Canadian
border between SW Yukon Territory and SE Alaska;
the fourth highest peak
of North America. The St. Elias Mountains were
named by explorer Vitus Bering (1681-1741).
Bering was a Danish explorer in Russian employ that
was selected in 1725
by Peter I to explore far NE Siberia.
In 1728 Bering oversaw the exploration
and mapping of the far reaches of Siberia and headed
an expedition across
the sea (which later was to bear his name) to Alaska.
Bering sighted massive coastal mountains on July 16.

The lofty summit of Mt. St. Elias was the first piece of Alaska mainland to catch Vitus Bering’s eye. That same day happened to be the feast day of the Saint Elias. A feast day or festival is the date a saint or holy event is commemorated, and is often times the date of his or her death. The area where Vitus Bering made landfall was named for Elias. Eventually the mountain too came to be called Mount St. Elias.

“Elias” is the Greek form of the Biblical name “Elijah.”
Hence, “St. Elias” is how we refer to the Holy Prophet, Elijah. The name “Elias” in Hebrew means: My God is LORD.

St. Elias was honored for the following:

- His mysticism: His ability to hold intimate conversation with
God, hearing God’s voice in the gentle breeze.

-His asceticism: Being taken by God to live in the desert and
eating only food brought by ravens.

-His prophesy: Being commanded by God to denounce rulers
for their injustice, their infidelity, and their oppression of the people.

-His orthodoxy: Following the one true God and opposing the
worship of other gods.

-His miracle working: Providing food in time of famine, raising the dead,
dividing the waters and crossing the Jordan.