Apostolic Constitutions : Wherefore, of those that live with God, even their very relics are not without honor. For even Elisha the prophet, after he was fallen asleep, raised up a dead man who was slain by the pirates of Syria. For his body touched the bones of Elisha, and he arose and revived. Now this would not have happened unless the body of Elisha were holy. — CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 6.30 Ephrem the Syrian : Now also Elijah raised somebody from the dead, and Elisha, too, performed that miracle during his lifetime. But none of the prophets, after dying, ever resurrected anyone. Therefore see how the spirit of Elijah doubly rests on Elisha. In fact, the power that the Lord gives to the bones of Elisha is the symbol and seed of resurrection. And the honor devoted to them shows the glory with which the bodies of the saints will be clothed on the day of the resurrection of all the dead. — ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 13:21 Ephrem the Syrian : And because temporal death is a mercy for the righteous, death they therefore despise, since it is subjugated to them like a slave. In what manner did death harm [Elisha] who descended into Hades? For whilst he was in the pit of death, he snatched a dead man from its mouth. Because they entrust both body and spirit unto God, they do not become downcast in the face of bodily afflictions. — HOMILY ON THE SOLITARIES 253-64 John Chrysostom : Not only to-day, therefore, but every day let us go forth to him, plucking spiritual fruits from him. For it is, it is possible for him who comes hither with faith to gather the fruit of many good things. For not the bodies only, but the very sepulchres of the saints have been filled with spiritual grace. For if in the case of Elisha this happened, and a corpse when it touched the sepulchre, burst the bands of death and returned to life again, much rather now, when grace is more abundant, when the energy of the spirit is greater, is it possible that one touching a sepulchre, with faith, should win great power; thence on this account God allowed us the remains of the saints, wishing to lead by them us to the same emulation, and to afford us a kind of haven, and a secure consolation for the evils which are ever overtaking us. Wherefore I beseech you all, if any is in despondency, if in disease, if under insult, if in any other circumstance of this life, if in the depth of sins, let him come hither with faith, and he will lay aside all those things, and will return with much joy, having procured a lighter conscience from the sight alone. But more, it is not only necessary that those who are in affliction should come hither, but if any one be in cheerfulness, in glory, in power, in much assurance towards God, let not this man despise the benefit. For coming hither and beholding this saint, he will keep these noble possessions unmoved, persuading his own soul to be moderate by the recollection of this man's mighty deeds, and not suffering his conscience by the mighty deeds to be lifted up to any self conceit. — Eulogy on Saint Ignatius Origen of Alexandria : After this, another law is published. It says, "Whatever soul touches anything unclean, or the carcass of unclean beasts, and conceals it and is defiled, or if he touches the uncleanness of [a person] or anything unclean by which he is defiled," and so forth. These, to be sure, are observed by the Jews indecently and uselessly enough. And why should one who, for example, touches a dead animal or the body of a dead person be held to be impure? What if it is the body of a prophet? What if it is the body of a patriarch or even the body of Abraham himself? What if he touches the bones, will he be unclean? What if he should touch the bones of Elisha, which raise a dead person? Will that one be unclean who touches the bones of the prophets and likewise do they make that one himself unclean whom they raise from the dead? See how unsuitable the Jewish interpretation is. — HOMILIES ON Leviticus 3.3.1