Who is Old Man Ely from The Road and what is their importance?

Ely is an interesting character. He does not really have a name: the man just chooses to call him Ely, alluding to the character in the Bible. Ely, however is no prophet proclaiming God's power and mankind's frailty. Instead he talks about the end of death because of the end of life. Ely claims there is no God or higher power: there is only nothing. Ely is the anti-prophet who represents the rotting conscious of man.