Prophecy And The Prophets In Ancient Israel

This important work on Prophecy and the Prophets in Ancient Israel is the product of an impressive international team of twenty-three outstanding scholars, most of whom are well-known, established names, while a few are able, younger scholars beginning to make their mark on the field. The volume approaches its subject from a remarkable number of different angles, with essays ranging from Israel's ancient Near Eastern background right through to the New Testament, but the majority of essays concentrate on Prophecy and the Prophets in the Old Testament. Particular attention is paid to the following subjects: Prophecy amongst Israel's Ancient Near Eastern Neighbours; Female Prophets in both Israel and the Ancient Near East; Israelite Prophecy in the Light of modern Sociological, Anthropological and Psychological Insights; Deuteronomy 18.9-22, the Prophets and Scripture; Elijah, Elisha and Prophetic Succession; the Theology of Amos; Hosea and the Baal cu All the contributions, previously unpublished, arise from papers delivered at the Oxford Old Testament seminar.

Using comparative anthropology to get at the social dimensions of prophetic activity, Robert Wilson's study brings the study of Isrealite prophecy to a new level. Looking at both modern societies and Ancient Near Eastern ones, Wilson sketches the nature of prophetic activity, its social location, and its social functions. He then shows how these features appear in Israelite prophecy and sketches a history of prophecy in Israel.

This book offers a new and fruitful approach to a major area of Old Testament study. Expressing dissatisfaction with current critical theories of Israelite prophecy, which have regularly depended on the categories of office and charisma to designate essential features, Petersen looks instead to modern 'role theory' for a conceptual apparatus which can take account not only of what prophets regularly did in common but also of the significant variety apparent in Israelite prophetic performance.

The prophets remain figures of enduring interest and importance in contemporary Judaism, Christianity, and even secular society. The Prophets introduces students to the rise of prophecy in ancient Israel, possible ancient Near Eastern parallels, the messages of individual prophets, and the significance of the compositional and editorial history of the prophetic writings. The book guides students into leading questions and issues in contemporary scholarship, and surveys different contemporary approaches to the messages of the prophets. Part 1 introduces the prophets and prophecy in context. The rise of prophecy, the role of the prophet, key themes, and the fate of prophecy are explored. Part 2 profiles Israel's prophets during the eighth century, the exile, and the postexilic period. This section will also look at each book of the prophets and how the prophetic writings fit within the complete Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. These chapters also provide insights into interpreting the prophetic writings today, including Jewish and Christian interpretations, prophecy and prediction, and the secular legacy of Israelite prophecy. This textbook includes numerous images, charts, and maps to enhance the experience of the students.

This revised and enlarged edition of Joseph Blenkinsopp's 1983 book will be a welcome addition to the libraries of serious Biblical scholars. The author critically recounts the history of Israelite prophecy from a social-historical perspective.