Amos (prophet)
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Amos (עָמוֹס "Burden", Standard Hebrew ʿAmos, Tiberian Hebrew ʿĀmôs, apparantly a shortened form of a name like Amasiah, meaning "the Lord carries") is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible, and supposed author of the speeches reported in the Book of Amos. The only direct information about him comes from this book.
Audience and ministry
Amos prophesied in the days of Jeroboam II (793-753 B.C.E.) of Israel, while Uzziah (792-740 B.C.E.) was king of Judah. He likely performed most of his prophetic work c. 765-755. He was born in Tekoa, a town in Judah about six miles south of Bethleham and 11 miles from Jerusalem in the territory of the tribe of Asher. Although a native of the southern Kingdom of Judah, he was called to prophesy in the northern Kingdom of Israel, likely in Bethel, one of Israel's two ancient consecrated places (the other being Gilgal) where sacred objects were kept and where the upper classes worshiped. [1] Amos is not seen as a "professional" prophet, in contrast to many other Old Testament prophets such as Samuel, Elijah and Elisha.
Occupation
Amos had three occupations before Yahweh called him to be a prophet, as a shepherd, a herdsman of cattle, and a tender of sycamore-fig trees (7:14). However, since it is clear from his particularly expressive, vivid, and forceful language and style of his writing that he was well educated, it is suggested that he was most probably from a wealthy background, and thus the owner of flocks, herds and sycamore groves rather than simply a herdsman or a farmhand. Sycamore-fig trees grew at a lower altitude than Tekoa, so Amos undoubtedly had to do some traveling (perhaps down to the Dead Sea region) to tend these trees. Amos also probably would have done a large amount of traveling to the wool and cattle markets of Israel and Judah. Thus he became aware of the social, and economic conditions and practices of both the higher and lower classes of society, yet shaped by his rural experiences, maintained a clear perspective of the evils that he saw as he traveled. While the Israelites felt their lifestyle was normal, the prophet perceived it as hateful to God.
The Book of Amos records that two years after Amos received the visions contained therein, an earthquake struck the area (1:1). Josephus, the first century CE Jewish historian, believed that the earthquake happened at the same time as Uzziah's seizure of the role of high priest and his subsequent bout with leprosy. Archeological findings unearthed at Hazor, about ten miles north of the sea of Galilee, show that an unusually strong earthquake occurred about 760 B.C.E. Amos was a contemporary of Isaiah, Micah and Hosea.
Israel in Amos' time
Under Jeroboam II, the Kingdom of Israel reached the zenith of its prosperity and enjoyed a substantial period of peace and security marked by artistic and commercial development. Samaria, its capital, boasted of beautiful and substantial buildings of hewn stone and ivory decorations rather than brick. Abundance, comfort and luxury so abounded that Israel of the North had attained a prosperity unprecedented since Solomon. However, the division between rich and poor increased and social corruption and the oppression of the poor and helpless were common. In addition, although there was a great outward show of religious observance, including sacrifices and offerings, the priesthood had been defiled by appointment of non-Levites, many new holidays were celebrated that had their origins in pagan tradition, and even certain idols were kept in the places of worship. Amos was called from his rural home to remind the rich and powerful of God's requirement for justice (e.g. 2:6-16). He claimed that religion that is not accompanied by right action is anathema to God (5:21ff.), and prophesied that the kingdom of Israel would be destroyed (e.g. 5:1-2; 8:2).
Amos' message was, perhaps understandably, unwelcome in Israel. Not only was he a foreigner from the southern kingdom, but his prophecies of doom were completely at odds with the prevailing political climate of hope and prosperity. Israel under the leadership of Jeroboam II had extended its territory into modern day Syria, taking advantage of the nation's weakness after a recent defeat by the Assyrians. Assyria, the major threat to Israel's power, had withdrawn itself temporarily due to internal strife, allowing Israel to flourish politically and economically. The nation's resultant affluence, however, was the main focus of Amos' mission as a prophet, and soon after Jeroboam (who for 12 years had served as co-regent with his father Jehoash), came to sole power in 781 B.C.E./BCE, Amos was called to speak to the people of the Northern Kingdom.
Amos vs. Amaziah of Bethel
He was continually in conflict with the governing authorities, as demonstrated in the narrative by way of a conversation between Amos and Amaziah, a priest of Bethel. The priest, loyal to Jeroboam, accuses Amos of stirring up trouble and conspiring against the king, and commands him to stop prophesying. Amos responds with an oracle: “Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagan country. And Israel will certainly go into exile, away from their native land."(Amos 7:17) While some have held that Amaziah eventually had Amos killed, there is no direct evidence of his martyrdom.
One of Amos' most famous claims is, "Amos answered Amaziah, 'I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd [2], and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.'" (Amos 7:14) While this was often understood to mean that Amos was reluctant to prophesy or that he was poor, scholars today see it as a claim to be financially independent and not a part of the corrupt religious system of his day. His agricultural holdings as a shepherd and a tender of trees were seen in his day as signs of means, which he used to point out that he was not in the prophetic calling for money, and that his efforts were only in response to God's command.
Teaching
The oracle predicted that many of Israel's neighbors would suffer, including Damascus, capital of the Aramean state directly north of Israel; Gaza, a Philistine city that guarded the entry to Canaan from Egypt; Tyre, the dominant Phoenician city once allied with Israel; Edom, the nation descended from Essau southeast of Judah; Ammon, an area east of the Jordan River whose main city; Rabbah (Ammman, Jordan today); and Moab, a country east of the Dead Sea that was a perpetual enemy of Israel. However, Judah and Israel themselves face special tribulations, because they "knew" God, yet rebelled. After pronouncing judgement on Israel's neighbors for various atrocities (judgements that Israel would naturally applaud), Amos announces God's condemnation on His own two kingdoms for failure to keep His commandments.
He said:
- "The Lord roars from Zion
- and thunders from Jerusalem;
- the pastures of the shepherds dry up,
- and the top of Carmel withers." (Amos 1:2 NIV)
Much of the prophecy of Amos is directed at the heartlessness of wealthy merchants who ignore the plight of the poor, the lack of justice for the righteous, and the emptiness of religious ritual in the place of reverence and devotion to God's laws. Through Amos, God expresses his disgust with religiosity devoid of righteousness:
- I hate, I despise your religious feasts;
- I cannot stand your assemblies.
- Even though you bring me burnt offerings
- and grain offerings,
- I will not accept them.
- Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
- I will have no regard for them.
- Away with the noise of your songs!
- I will not listen to the music of your harps.
- But let justice roll on like a river,
- righteousness like a never-failing stream. (Amos 5:21-24, NIV)
The prophet is concerned with the well-being of especially the poor and the purity of heart of the prosperous. He does not have the millennial apocalyptic views of later prophets, nor does he rely on esotericism or mystical signs. The prophecy of Amos is clear and direct, and foretells the Assyrian captivity of Israel (beginning in 722-721 B.C.E.), a judgment that would not merely be a punitive warning blow, but an almost total destruction.
Amos also describes the ransack and burning of Jerusalem in the more geographically protected southern Kingdom of Judah (eventually acccomplished by the Babylonians and king Nebuchadnezzar II in 586 B.C.E.). He ends his message with a proclamation of hope and restoration for the people of Israel if they mend their ways:
The days are coming, declares the Lord, when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God. (Amos 9:13-15)
It is disputed whether this final passage was indeed written by Amos, as the style and message is different from the rest of the book.
Literary style
Amos utilizes many agricultural metaphors drawn from his experiences in agriculture. Note the agricultural imagery in Amos 7:
This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king's share had been harvested and just as the second crop was coming up. When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, 'Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!'
Although Amos uses simple language, being straightforward and direct with the messages from God, not only for Israel and Judah, but also for the surrounding nations, the style and organization of his writings reveals literary excellence. It is likely that Amos compiled and carefully organized his writings after he had finished his ministry in Israel and returned to Judah. Probably, the prophesies were not delivered orally exactly as recorded, with many of the topics given poetic flair. The prophesies are meant to be read as a unit, but are not necessarily in the chronological order of his spoken messages. He may have repeated them on many occasions to reach as many people as possible. Amos is one of the first of the prophetic messages to be preserved in permanent book form that would accompany Israel through the coming captivity and beyond.
Notes
- ↑ A third important shrine was established at Dan by Jeroboam I. Other shrines are also mentioned in the biblical texts.
- ↑ The Hebrew word here relates to cattle rather than sheep as in 1:1
Further Reading
Anderson, Bernhard W. & Foster R. McCurley The Eighth Century Prophets: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah Wipf and Stock: 2003. ISBN 1592443540
Rosenbaum, Stanley Ned Amos of Israel: A New Interpretation Georgia: Mercer University Press: 1990. ISBN 0865543550
External links
This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.
