Elimelech, a man from Bethlehem in Judah, whose story is told in the Book of Ruth, chapter 1. During the time of the Judges, there was a severe famine in the land, prompting Elimelech to take his wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, to Moab in search of food and survival.

This move was significant because Moab was often seen as a land outside of God's covenant people, and the decision to leave the Promised Land reflected the desperation of the time. Tragically, Elimelech died in Moab, followed later by his two sons, leaving Naomi and her Moabite daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, in a vulnerable position.