Élie Benoist (20 January 1640 – 15 November 1728), was a French Protestant minister, known as a historian of the Edict of Nantes.

He served for twenty years as Protestant minister on the outskirts of the city, with as much prudence as capacity, under the watchful eye of the authorities.

He met with much opposition from the Roman Catholics, especially from the Jesuit de la Rue, who attacked him and even incited a riot against him in August 1681.

Benoist immediately went to Holland, and was called as minister to the Walloon church of Delft, which worshiped in a chapel adjacent to the Prinsenhof; there he stayed thirty years, followed by an actively participating retirement.

In 1687 he engaged on his massive project of the history of the Edict of Nantes, published from 1693 to 1695 and rapidly translated into English as it appeared.