Read complete books and articles on: Biblical Prophets

Prophet - [Gr.,=foreteller], a religious leader and spokesperson, particularly used in the Bible. The prophets emitted messages from the divine through inspired speech, the interpretation of omens and dreams, and the casting of lots and divination. The word derives from Greek cults, in which prophets interpreted answers to questions put to oracular mediums (see oracles). The concept of a divine interpreter is common in religion, yet the function varies according to culture; thus the term can be defined only with respect to a particular religion. Usually prophet connotes inspired utterance of a spontaneous nature, while priest suggests established ritual duties.

The Prophetic Tradition in the Ancient Middle East

Prophets are clearly evident in Mesopotamia from the first centuries of the 2d millennium b.c. They are mentioned in texts from Emar, Egypt, and Aram, as well as from Assyria during the Old Testament period. In Assyria, prophets appear to have been closely associated with the court, delivering oracles regarding the prospects of foreign policies.

The phenomenon of prophetic speech is also present in Israel from the monarchical era to the post-exilic era. Court prophets (e.g., Nathan), as well as unofficial prophets (e.g., Amos) are attested. Not all the prophets of Israel left deposits of oracles. The most extensive of the collections are found in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The title of prophet is also accorded to others of varying importance, e.g., Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Nathan, and Jehu. Certain of their divine mission to purify Israel's religion, the prophets attacked many aspects of people's lives and came forward as the advocates of the poor and oppressed and as the leaders in social reform. According to them, Israel could be reconciled with God only by complete purification in religion and in the state. It is part of traditional Christian belief, found in the Nicene Creed and Second Peter, that the Holy Spirit "spoke through the prophets" concerning the intentions of God for his people.

In Christianity and Islam

In the New Testament, the term prophecy is used of enthusiastic, presumably inspired utterances. This tradition was perpetuated in Montanism, an early Christian sect (late 2d cent. a.d.). Such prophecy has a somewhat dubious history in Christianity (e.g., in Joachim of Floris and Joanna Southcott), but there have been millennialists and miracle-working preachers among the unassailably orthodox (e.g., St. Vincent Ferrer). Some varieties of Protestantism have emphasized "inspired" utterances or behavior; the most spectacular were the Anabaptists (e.g., Thomas Münzer and John of Leiden). Emanuel Swedenborg and Joseph Smith are examples of self-proclaimed prophets who came out of Protestant backgrounds. Islam confesses Muhammad as the last and greatest of prophets. He gathered a community based on his being the divine messenger of the final revelation of God.

Among Native Americans

Native American prophets resembled the great prophets of Israel in preaching a definite message; the ordinary medicinal healer (see shaman) had no such role. The Native American prophet in the late 18th and the 19th cent. normally foretold the regeneration of the indigenous peoples and the recapture of lands from the settlers, provided that Native Americans accepted the idea of ethnic brotherhood and that they follow prescribed religious practices. Frequently prophets were connected with their military leaders, such as the Delaware Prophet with Pontiac, and the Shawnee Prophet with his brother, Tecumseh. Two later prophets of renown were Smohalla and Wovoka (of the Ghost Dance).

Bibliography

See R. R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel (1980); D. E. Aune, Prophecy in Society in Early Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World (1983); J. Blenkinsopp, A History of Prophecy in Israel (1983); J. Barton, Oracles of God (1986).

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15 of the Best Books and Articles on: Biblical Prophets

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1.

Prophecy and the Biblical Prophets » Read Now
by John F. A. Sawyer. 180 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

...Gillingham Prophecy and the Biblical Prophets John F. A. Sawyer revised...John Barton Prophecy and the Biblical Prophets JOHN F. A. SAWYER OXFORD...Publication Data...
2.

The Prophets: Their Personalities and Teachings » Read Now
by Beryl D. Cohon. 236 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

...in teaching the prophets to lay classes...verse number of the Biblical passages in this...Scribners Sons. BIBLICAL ABBREVIATIONS...CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROPHETS By a...
3.

The Prophets and Israel's Culture » Read Now
by William Creighton Graham. 122 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

...PRESS, LIMITED SHANGHAI THE PROPHETS AND ISRAELS CULTURE By...It is only recently that biblical scholars have become socially...longer alien to our day. The Biblical...
4.

The Cultic Prophet in Ancient Israel » Read Now
by Aubrey R. Johnson. 94 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

...Eissfeldt, who first drew my attention to the theory of cultic prophets as long ago as my postgraduate days in Halle, and encouraged...A.T.D. Das Alte Testament Deutsch ...
5.

The Burden of Prophecy: Poetic Utterance in the Prophets of the Old Testament » Read Now
by Albert Cook. 166 pgs.

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Albert Cook examines the fusion of poetic with scriptural thinking in the prophets and wisdom writers of the Old Testament, focusing on the details of their thematic concentrations and on the posture they assume to orient themselves in their prophecies. Most poetry looks toward the past. Keats, Li...
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Albert Cook examines the fusion of poetic with scriptural thinking in the prophets and wisdom writers of the Old Testament, focusing on the details of their thematic concentrations and on the posture they assume to orient themselves in their prophecies. Most poetry looks toward the past. Keats, Li Po, and Pindar, for example, all offer the profundity of a stocktaking. The poetry of the Hebrew prophet, however, is oriented toward the future. At worst, the prophet's perception and his intent can lead to an informed readiness for the future; at best, they can lead to a restoration of the people's covenant with God; but in any case, they will lead to a future whose features are compassed in the articulated vision. The Burden of Prophecy explores the implications of these conditions, balancing poetic, religious, and anthropological questions as it examines the Old Testament books of the prophets and their successors: Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Daniel, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes.
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6.

Kings & Prophets: Monarchic Power, Inspired Leadership, & Sacred Text in Biblical Narrative » Read Now
by Cristiano Grottanelli. 216 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

This collection of essays examines the respective religious and social functions of kings and prophets as they are presented in the biblical narratives. Biblical kingship is easily shown to be a specific instance of an ancient and widespread institution--sacred monarchy--that was the pivot of most...
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This collection of essays examines the respective religious and social functions of kings and prophets as they are presented in the biblical narratives. Biblical kingship is easily shown to be a specific instance of an ancient and widespread institution--sacred monarchy--that was the pivot of most state organizations throughout antiquity; prophetic authority is described as a typical institution of ancient Hebrew society. The difference between monarchy and prophecy is radical, because the former implies a hereditary power and is upheld by its subjects who feed their kings with taxes, while the latter derives its authority from allegedly direct divine inspiration, and though it is also economically dependent it is not explicitly presented as being based upon systematic exploitation. Cristiano Grottanelli interprets the rise of prophecy as a consequence of a crisis of monarchical structures at the beginning of the Iron Age, and connects it to similar phenomena attested in ancient Greek texts derived from a similar crisis. Though monarchy finally won the day in the Ancient Mediterranean in a new imperial form, the new literatures in Greek and Hebrew consonantic and alphabetic scripts shaped nonmonarchic figures to which they attributed some of the functions previously pertaining to monarchy. These new literatures, produced by two cultures that were both highly literate and organized according to nonmonarchical principles, diverged radically in their development and final outcomes. In the Hebrew tradition, monolatry and an official canon of sacred writings were the final result; the prophetic principle was thus overcome by a new ideological construction, centered upon inspired scriptures rather than upon the impromptu performances of inspired persons. In using the prophetic principle against the monarchic, the canonical texts paradoxically shaped their own authority above that of living prophets.
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7.

Sage, Priest, Prophet: Religious and Intellectual Leadership in Ancient Israel » Read Now
by Joseph Blenkinsopp. 198 pgs.

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The historical and literary questions about ancient Israel that traditionally have preoccupied biblical scholars often have overlooked the social realities of life experienced by the vast majority of the population of ancient Israel. Volumes in the Library of Ancient Israel draw on multiple...
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The historical and literary questions about ancient Israel that traditionally have preoccupied biblical scholars often have overlooked the social realities of life experienced by the vast majority of the population of ancient Israel. Volumes in the Library of Ancient Israel draw on multiple disciplines -- such as archaeology, anthropology, sociology, and literary criticism -- to illumine the everyday realities and social subtleties these ancient cultures experienced. This series employs sophisticated methods resulting in original contributions that depict the reality of the people behind the Hebrew Bible and interprets these scholarly insights for a wide variety of readers. Individually and collectively, these books will expand our vision of the culture and society of ancient Israel, thereby generating new appreciation for its impact up to the present.
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8.

Jeremiah: Man and Prophet » Read Now
by Sheldon H. Blank. 260 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library
9.

Ezekiel: A Commentary » Read Now
by Walther Eichrodt. 612 pgs.

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10.

Prophecy and Religion: Studies in the Life of Jeremiah » Read Now
by John Skinner. 340 pgs.

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11.

Jonah: A Psycho-religious Approach to the Prophet » Read Now
by Pierre-Emmanuel Lacocque, Andre Lacocque. 264 pgs.

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...effective retort to save the prophets message!" Le livre de la consolation...ries CBQ Catholic Biblical Quaterly DB Dictionary...67-69. Wiesel Elie. Five Biblical Prophets...
12.

Joel and Amos: A Commentary on the Books of the Prophets Joel and Amos » Read Now
by Hans Walter Wolff, S. Dean McBride Jr. 395 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library
13.

Inspiration and Revelation in the Old Testament » Read Now
by H. Wheeler Robinson. 302 pgs.

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14.

New Light from the Prophets » Read Now
by Louis Finkelstein. 151 pgs.

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...cannot demonstrate its use in biblical times; nor can that fact disprove...volume to texts in which the Prophets are mentioned. Other texts...institutions known to post-...
15.

Giordano Bruno and the Kabbalah: Prophets, Magicians, and Rabbis » Read Now
by Karen Silvia De Leon-Jones. 278 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Philosophy, Entire Library