Difference between revisions of "Lives of the Prophets" - New World Encyclopedia

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The '''Lives of the Prophets''' is an ancient [[apocrypha]]l account of the lives of the authors of the [[Ketuvim]] from the [[Hebrew Bible]]. It begins by explaining its basic purpose to provide: "The names of the prophets, and where they are from, and where they died and how, and where the[ir graves] lie."
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[[Image:Dore jonah.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Jonah]] preaching at [[Nineveh]]]]
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The '''Lives of the Prophets''' is an ancient [[apocrypha]]l account of the lives of the authors of the prophetical books of the [[Hebrew Bible]] and several other biblical [[prophet]]s. Although its biographies of the prophets are sketchy at best, the book does provide a number of details about their lives that are not found in the biblical text. The historicity of these reports, however, is doubtful.
  
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Although the Bible says very little about most of the biblical prophets, there was a growing tradition around the turn of the [[Common Era]] that some had been [[martyr]]ed. Among the deaths described in the ''Lives of the Prophets'' are those of [[Isaiah]] by being sawn in two, [[Jeremiah]] by [[stoning]], and [[Ezekiel]] by a similar [[execution]].
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Although the [[Bible]] says little about the lives of most of the biblical prophets, there was a growing tradition around the turn of the [[Common Era]] that some of the prophets had been [[martyr]]ed. The ''Lives of the Prophets'' continues this tradition and may have been in part responsible for popularizing it. Among the violent deaths described in the ''Lives'' are those of [[Isaiah]] by being sawn in two, [[Jeremiah]] by [[stoning]], and [[Ezekiel]] by a similar [[execution]].
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The work survives only in Christian manuscripts which contain numerous additions that support Christian theology, but some of its stories are repeated in Jewish [[midrash]]ic and [[Talmud]]ic accounts. The martyrdom of the prophets is also referred to several times in the [[New Testament]].
  
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The work survives only in Christian manuscripts, but some of its stories are repeated in Jewish [[midrash]]ic and Talmudic accounts. Stories of the martyrdom of the prophets appear to have been popular among the Jews of the first century CE and are referred to several times in the New Testament.
 
 
==The text==
 
==The text==
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The text of the Lives of the Prophets appears to have been compiled from various oral and written sources. It was probably composed shortly before the beginning of the first century C.E in Hebrew or Aramaic/Syriac, possibly in Jerusalem, but certainly by someone familiar with that city, as well as with the geography of Judea and the Galilee. Much of the material is legendary, and it is difficult to know its origins. Some commentators suggest that the Jeremiah material originated from Egypt.
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The text of the ''Lives of the Prophets'' was apparently compiled from various oral and written sources. The current Greek manuscripts derive from an older source probably composed shortly before or during the beginning of the first century C.E. in [[Hebrew]] or [[Aramaic]]/Syriac, by a Jewish writer familiar with [[Jerusalem]], as well as with the geography of [[Judea]] and the [[Galilee]]. Much of the material is legendary, and it is difficult to know its exact origins. Some commentators suggest that the Jeremiah material came from a written Jewish source from [[Egypt]], while the reports of the prophets' supposed martyrdoms may have circulated in the Judean [[oral tradition]] for centuries.
  
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The current text betrays several Christian additions indicated later scribal tampering with the text. Some of the content of the work appears in later Talmudic references, although this may indicate a common origin rather than rabbinic familiarity with the text itself. Similar, the implied knowledge of legends from the ''Lives'' in the New Testament may derive from oral tradition, but could also indicate that the New Testament writers, earlier Christians, or even Jesus himself were familiar with the work.
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Despite its Jewish origins, the current text betrays several Christian additions indicating later scribal tampering with the text. Some manuscripts also rearrange the order of the material, while others include summaries of biblical information concerning the prophets' biographies that do not appear in other, shorter manuscripts.
  
 
==Summary==
 
==Summary==
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The text begins with the major literary prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, as well as Daniel. It then proceed to summarized the lives of several of the [[minor prophets]] and a number of prophets who are mentioned in historical narratives, such as Nathan, Elijah, and Zechariah the son of Jehoida.
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The text begins by explaining its basic purpose, to provide: "The names of the [[prophet]]s, and where they are from, and where they died and how, and where the[ir graves] lie." The major literary prophets are dealt with first: [[Isaiah]], [[Jeremiah]], and [[Ezekiel]], as well as [[Daniel]]. The text then proceeds to summarize the lives of the 12 [[minor prophets]] and a number of others who are mentioned in biblical narratives, such as [[Nathan]], [[Elijah]], [[Elisha]] and others.
  
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==Major prophets and Daniel==
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===Major prophets and Daniel===
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'''Isaiah'''. Killed by being sawed in two under the evil King Manasseh of Judah. The miraculous waters of the pool of Siloam seem to have been initiated as a result of Isaiah's prayer for water when he was near death.
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[[Image:Ezekiel-elders.jpg|thumb|250px|Ezekiel confronts the elders. In the ''Lives of the Prophets'', [[Ezekiel]] is eventually martyred for his denunciations.]]
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'''Isaiah'''. Following the tradition found in the Jewish sections of the apocryphal [[Ascension of Isaiah]], the text reports that this [[prophet]] was killed by being sawed in two under the evil King [[Manasseh of Judah]]. A tradition is preserved that the miraculous powers of the waters of the [[Pool of Siloam]] (see John 9) were initiated as a result of [[Isaiah]]'s prayer.
  
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'''Jeremiah'''. Stoned to death by "his people" at Taphnai in Egypt and buried in honor near [[Pharoah]]’s palace, because his prayers had delivered the Egyptians from various plagues. His relics were reportedly moved to Alexandria and placed in a circle around the city, which was consequently protected from [[asps]] and [[crocodiles]]. A Christian addition indicates that Jeremiah prophesied to the Egyptians concerning a savior who would be born of a virgin, in
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'''Jeremiah'''. Having escaped death several times previously, [[Jeremiah]] was later stoned to death by "his people" at Taphnai in [[Egypt]] and buried in honor near [[Pharaoh]]’s palace, because his prayers had delivered the Egyptians from poisonous snakes and other plagues.<ref>Some commentators have noted the similarity of this account to the later legend of [[Saint Patrick]] driving the snakes from [[Ireland]].</ref> His relics were reportedly moved to [[Alexandria]] and placed in a circle around the city, which was consequently likewise protected from [[asp]]s and [[crocodile]]s.
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a manger. And God bestowed this favor upon Jeremiah, that he might himself perform the completion of his mystery, so that he might become a partner of Moses, and they are together to this day. The prophet is also greatly praised in more traditionally Jewish terms, and is said to dwell in the next world with [[Moses]].
 
  
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'''Ezekiel'''. Said to have originated from Arira. Died in Babylonia where "the ruler of the people Israel killed him there as he was being reproved by him concerning the worship of idols." Ezekiel was reportedly buried in the grave of [[Shem]] and Arpachshad, after which the [[Tomb of the Patriarchs]] in [[Hebron]] was modeled. The text also preserved an alternate tradition that Ezekiel was killed by an unidentified member of either the tribe of Dan and that of Gad, who had blamed him for cursing their children and flocks. "The one who killed him
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A Christian addition to the text indicates that Jeremiah prophesied to the Egyptians concerning a savior who would be born of a [[virgin]] in a manger. The prophet is also greatly praised in more traditionally Jewish terms, and is said to dwell in the next world with [[Moses]].
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was one of them. For they opposed him all the days of his life."
 
  
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'''Daniel.''' This prophet was apparently unmarried, a "chaste man," whom the Jews of his day believed to be [[eunuch]]. Various legends from the Book of Daniel are repeated and expanded upon. Daniel is reported to have died, apparently of natural causes, and was buried with great honor in the royal tombs of Babylon.
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'''Ezekiel'''. This great prophet is said to have died in [[Babylonia]] where "the leader of the Israelite exiles" killed him after being reproved for worshiping of idols. [[Ezekiel]] was reportedly buried in the grave of [[Shem]], after which the [[Tomb of the Patriarchs]] in [[Hebron]] was modeled. The text also preserves an alternate tradition that Ezekiel was killed by an unidentified member of either the tribe of Dan or Gad, who had blamed him for cursing their children and flocks.
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'''Daniel.''' This prophet was apparently unmarried, a "chaste man," whom the Jews of his day believed to be a [[eunuch]]. Various legends from the [[Book of Daniel]] are repeated and expanded upon. Daniel is reported to have died of natural causes and was buried with great honor in the royal tombs of Babylon.
  
 
===Minor prophets===
 
===Minor prophets===
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'''Hosea'''. Born of the tribe of [[Issachar]], [[Hosea]] also died of natural causes and was buried in his home town of Belemoth. The text records an extra-biblical prophecy of Hosea, possibly of Christian origin, that "the Lord would arrive upon the earth if ever the oak which is in [[Shiloh]] were divided from itself." Some manuscripts add that twelve oaks indeed came from this one.
  
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'''Hosea'''. Born of tribe of Issachar, died of natural causes, and was buried in his home town of Belemoth. The text records an extra-biblical prophecy of Hosea, possibly of Christian origin, that "the Lord would arrive upon the earth if ever the oak which is in Shiloh were divided from itself." It adds twelve oaks indeed came to be from this one.
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[[Image:Micah.jpg|thumb|275px|[[Micah]] was another of the [[prophet]]s who became a [[martyr]], according the the account of the ''Lives of the Prophets''.]]
  
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'''Micah'''. Reportedly killed by [[Joram of Israel]], the son of King Ahab after Micah rebuked him for Ahab's impiety. And was buried reportedly buried in his home district on the "burial ground of the Anakim"—the race of giants who were conquered by [[Caleb]]. The story of Joram's killing Micah is unlikely, however, since Micah prophesied around 735–700 BCE, more than a century ''after'' Joram's reign.
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'''Micah'''. He is reported to have been killed by [[Joram of Israel]], the son of King [[Ahab]], after Micah rebuked him for Ahab's impiety. And was reportedly buried in his home district on the "burial ground of the Anakim"—the race of giants who were conquered by [[Caleb]]. The story of Joram's killing Micah is unlikely, however, since Micah prophesied around 735–700 B.C.E., more than a century ''after'' Joram's reign. The author may confuse this Micah with [[Micaiah]] son of Imlah, who was indeed a thorn in Ahab's side (1 Kings 22:1)
  
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'''Amos.''' This northern prophet was tortured severely by Amaziah, the priest of [[Bethel]], against whom [[Amos]] had prophesied. He was then mortally wounded with a club by Amaziah's son. Amos was able to make his way back to his own district of Tekoa, where he soon died and was buried there.
  
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'''Amos.''' Tortured severely by King Amaziah of Judah and mortally wounded with a club by Amaziah's son also killed him with a club by striking him on the temple. And while he was still breathing he went to his own district, and after some days he died and was buried there.
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'''Joel'''. Died in peace and was buried the territory of Reuben.
  
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'''Obadiah'''. Said to be the same Obadiah who was once the steward of [[King Ahab]]'s palace, he is identified as a disciple of [[Elijah]] from the area near [[Shechem]] who later left the evil king's service, became a prophet, and wrote the [[Book of Obadiah]].
  
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Joel
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'''Jonah'''. He reportedly lived during the time of [[Elijah]] and hailed from a village near the Greek city of Azotus. The fact that the text here mentions Elijah's resurrection of a widow's son may be the source of a rabbinical tradition that this child was [[Jonah]]. In any case, after his time at [[Nineveh]], Jonah traveled with his mother and lived among the [[Gentiles]], feeling embarrassed because, "I spoke falsely in prophesying against the great city of Nineveh." The text also gives an otherwise unreported prophecy of Jonah: "When they see a stone crying out, the end will be at hand, and when they see all the Gentiles in Jerusalem, the entire city will be razed to the ground.<ref>This prophecy could provide an alternate interpretation of the meaning of the "sign of Jonah" referred to by Jesus in Matthew 16:4.</ref> Returning to the land of Judah after the famine of Elijah's day, Jonah buried his mother near [[Deborah]]’s Oak and was himself buried in the cave of Kenaz, the relative of [[Caleb]].  
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Chapter eight
 
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1Joel was from the territory of Reuben, in the countryside of Bethomoron.
 
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2He died in peace and was buried there.
 
  
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'''Nahum'''. Probably based on the [[Book of Nahum]]'s prophecies concerning Nineveh, Nahum is described as [[Jonah]]'s successor as God's [[prophet]] of doom to that city. Nahum predicted that the city would be destroyed by fresh water and an underground fire. Unlike the embarrassed Jonah, Nahum spoke truly, as the author reports that the lake which surrounded Nineveh inundated it during an earthquake, and a forest fire spread to the upper city. Nahum, too, died in peace and was buried in his own district.
  
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Obadiah
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'''Habakkuk'''. This prophet fled from [[Jerusalem]] in the face of [[Nebuchadnezzar II]]'s advance and lived in exile "in the land of [[Ishmael]]." He later went to Babylon, where he was acquainted with the prophet [[Daniel]].  
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Chapter nine
 
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1Obadiah was from the district of Sechem, of the countryside of Bethacharam.
 
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2This man was a disciple of Elijah, and endured much because of him, and
 
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3escaped with his life. This was the third captain of fifty whom Elijah spared and
 
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4(with whom) he went down to Ahaziah. After these events he left the service of
 
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5the king and prophesied. And he died and was buried with his fathers.
 
  
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'''Zephaniah'''. The book which bears his name is very briefly summarized and it is reported that "he died and was buried in his field."
  
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Jonah
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'''Haggai'''. This prophet came from Babylon to Jerusalem, as a youth and witnessed the rebuilding of the Temple. He was buried in honor in the tomb of the Jewish priests.
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Chapter ten
 
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1Jonah was from the district of Kariathmos near the Greek city of Azotus by
 
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2the sea. And when he had been cast foth by the sea monster and had gone away to Nineveh and had returned, he did not remain in his district, but taking his mother along he sojourned in Sour, a territory (inhabited by) foreign nations;
 
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3for he said, So shall I remove my reproach, for I spoke falsely in prophesying
 
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4against the great city of Nineveh. At that time Elijah was rebuking the house
 
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5of Ahab, and when he had invoked famine upon the land he fled. And he went and found the widow with her son, for he could not stay with uncircumcised
 
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6people; and he blessed her. And when her son died, God raised him again from the dead through Elijah, for he wanted to show him that it is not possible to run
 
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7away from God, And after the famine he arose and went into the land of Judah.
 
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8And when his mother died along the way, he buried her near Deborah’s Oak.
 
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9And after sojourning in the land of Saraar he died and was buried in the cave of
 
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10Kenaz, who became judge of one tribe in the days of the anarchy. And he gave a portent concerning Jerusalem and the whole land, that whenever they should
 
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11see a stone crying out piteously the end was at hand. And whenever they should see all the gentiles in Jerusalem, the entire city would be razed to the ground.
 
  
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'''Zechariah'''. He returned to Jerusalem from Babylonia as an old man and became a very active prophet in the holy city. It was he who named Shealtiel's son [[Zerubbabel]] and blessed him. The text claims that Zechariah had earlier prophesied the victories of [[Cyrus the Great]] of Persia and his role in allowing the Jews to return and rebuild [[Jerusalem]].<ref>Such a prophecy is recorded in the [[Book of Isaiah]]—or [[Deutero-Isaiah]] according to modern theories—but not in the Book of Zechariah. Could this account provide a hint that Zechariah was one of the writers that produced the Deutero-Isaiah material?</ref> He died at a great age and was buried near [[Haggai]].
  
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Nahum
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'''Malachi'''. A man of great piety and physical appeal, Malachi was given his name, which means [[angel]], not by his parents but by his people. His prophecies were always confirmed on the same day by an angel of God. He died, apparently of natural causes, while still young.
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Chapter eleven
 
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1Nahum was from Elkesi on the other side of Isbegabarin of the tribe of
 
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2Simeon. After Jonah this man gave to Nineveh a portent, that it would be
 
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3destroyed by fresh water and an underground fire, which also happened. For the lake which surrounds it inundated it during an earthquake, and fire coming from
 
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4the wilderness burned its higher section. He died in peace and was buried in his own district.
 
  
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==Other prophets==
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[[Image:Nathan-and-David.jpg|thumb|The ''Lives of the Prophets'' reports that [[Nathan]] (left) tried to warn King [[David]] ahead of time not to sin with [[Bathsheba]], but was prevented from doing so by the [[Devil]].]]
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'''Nathan'''. It was [[Nathan]] who taught [[King David]] the [[Law of Moses]]. He foresaw that David would sin with [[Bathsheba]] but was hindered from warning him by the [[Devil]]. Nathan died of natural causes when he was very old.
  
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Habakkuk
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'''Ahijah'''. Hailing from [[Shiloh]], Ahijah predicted that [[Solomon]] would sin against God and warned the king concerning his foreign wives. He also warned [[Jeroboam I]] not to "walk deceitfully with the Lord." Ahijah is reported to have seen a vision of "a yoke of oxen trampling the people and running against the priests," a possible reference to the golden calves of [[Dan]] and [[Bethel]]. He was buried near the Oak of Shiloh mentioned in the story of Hosea.
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Chapter twelve
 
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1Habakkuk was of the tribe of Simeon, from the countryside of Bethzouchar.
 
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2Before the captivity he had a vision concerning the conquest of Jerusalem, and
 
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3he mourned greatly. And when Nebuchadnezzar entered Jerusalem he fled to
 
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4Ostrakine, and (later) sojourned in the land of Ishmael. When the Chaldeans turned back, and the remnant that was in Jerusalem (went) to Egypt, he was living
 
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5in his own district and ministering to those who were harvesting his field. When he took the food, he prophesied to his own family, saying, I am going to a far
 
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6country, and I will come quickly. But is I delay, take (food) to the harvesters.
 
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7And when he had gone to Babylon and given the meal to Daniel, he approached the harvesters as they were eating and told no one what had happened; he
 
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8understood that the people would soon return from Babylon. And he dies two
 
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9years before the return. And he was buried alone in his own field.
 
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10He gave a portent to those in Judea, that they would see a light in the Temple
 
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11and so perceive the glory of the Temple. And concerning the end of the Temple
 
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12he predicted, By a western nation it will happen. At that time, he said, the curtain of the Dabeir will be torn into small pieces, and the capitals of the two pillars will be taken away, and no one will know where they are; and they will be carried away by angels into the wilderness, where the tent of witness was
 
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13set up in the beginning. And by means of them the Lord will be recognized at the end, for they will illuminate those who are being pursued by the serpent in darkness as from the beginning.
 
  
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'''Joad'''. This is the name given to the prophet of 1 Kings 13, who was attacked and killed by a lion after he rebuked [[Jeroboam I]] concerning the unauthorized altar at [[Bethel]].
  
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Zephaniah
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'''Azariah'''. This is the Azariah son of Obed mentioned in 2 Chronicles 15:1. The text claims it was he who "turned from Israel the captivity of Judah," apparently a mangled rendering of what should read "turned Judah away from the captivity of Israel," a reference to Azariah's effective prophesying to King [[Asa]] of Judah to do away with [[idolatry]].
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Chapter thirteen
 
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1,2Zephaniah was of the tribe of Simeon, of the countryside of Sabaratha. He prophesied concerning the city and about the end of the gentiles and the shaming
 
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3of the impious. And he died and was buried in his field.
 
  
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'''Elijah'''. Described as a descendant of [[Aaron]], [[Elijah]]'s father, Shobach, had a vision of angelic figures wrapping his child in fire and feeding him with flames. Some manuscripts go on to summarize Elijah's biblical ministry. The story of his resurrection of the widow's son is detailed in the section on [[Jonah]].
  
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Haggai
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'''Elisha'''. When this prophet was born in [[Gilgal]], the infamous [[golden calf]] bellowed so shrilly that it was heard in [[Jerusalem]].<ref>This passage apparently preserves a tradition that one of the golden calves was at Gilgal rather than Dan.</ref> As in the case of Elijah, some manuscripts summarize his activities as described in the [[Bible]]. At his death, Elisha was buried in the northern capital of [[Samaria]].
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Chapter fourteen
 
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1Haggai, who is also the Messenger, came from Babylon to Jerusalem, probably as a youth, and he openly prophesied concerning the return of the people,
 
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2and witnessed in past the building of the Temple/ And when he died he was buried near the tomb of the priests, in great honor as were they.
 
  
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'''Zechariah son of Jehoiada'''. This Zechariah was the high priest's son who denounced his cousin, King [[Jehoash of Judah]], and was immediately stoned to death in the Temple courtyard. He was buried with his father Jehoiada. From that time on several unspecified bad omens occurred in the Temple, and the priests' visionary and oracular powers of the priests came to an end.
  
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Zechariah
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==Influence==
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Chapter fifteen
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[[Image:Vittore carpaccio st etienne.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Saint Stephen]] may have based his opinion on the ''Lives of the Prophets'' when he asked: "Was there ever a [[prophet]] your fathers did not persecute?"]]
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1Zechariah came from Chaldea when he was already well advanced in years, and there he prophesied many things to the people, and gave portents as proof.
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A number of later rabbinical traditions concerning the [[prophet]]s find their first known written expression in the ''Lives of the Prophets'', for example the story of [[Nathan]]'s being hindered by the [[Devil]] from warning [[David]] about [[Bathsheba]], the idea that the writer of the prophetic [[Book of Obadiah]] was originally the same Obadiah who worked for King [[Ahab]], and the prospect that [[Jonah]] was the widow's child resurrected by [[Elijah]].
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2This man told Jozadak that he would beget a son and that he would serve as priest
 
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3in Jerusalem. He also pronounced a blessing upon Shealtiel at the birth of his
 
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4son, and named him Zerubbabel. And concerning Cyrus he gave a portent of his victory, and prophesied regarding the service which he was to perform for
 
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5Jerusalem, and he blessed him greatly. His prophesying in Jerusalem was based on his visions about the end of the gentiles, Israel, the Temple, the laziness of
 
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6prophets and priests, and he set forth the twofold judgment. And he died when he had attained a great age, and when he expired he was buried near Haggai.
 
  
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However, the ''Lives'', or at least the traditions that it preserves, may have had an even more profound impact on Christian tradition. The [[Hebrew Bible]] itself is silent about the deaths of most prophets, the case of Zechariah the son of Jehoiada being a notable exception. Yet [[Jesus]] is quoted as saying "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you." (Luke 13:34) [[Saint Paul]] writes to the Thessalonians that the Jews "killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets..." (1 Thessalonians 2:14-15); and the [[Book of Acts]] reports [[Saint Stephen]] as declaring, just before his martyrdom: "Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the [[messiah|Righteous One]]." (Acts 7:52)
  
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Malachi
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None of these denunciations seems justified by the [[Old Testament]] biblical record alone. However, if one accepts the testimony of the ''Lives of the Prophets'', then the three greatest Judean prophets—[[Isaiah]], [[Jeremiah]], and [[Ezekiel]]—were all killed by their own people or rulers because of their prophetic activity. So were the important northern prophets [[Amos]] and [[Micah]]. The supposed martyrdom of Isaiah was probably known from other sources as well, namely the Jewish part of the [[Ascension of Isaiah]], but the traditions preserved in the ''Lives'' also seem to have been known among first-century Jews. If so, the early Christian denunciations of the treatment of the prophets by the Jews are more understandable, even if not historically accurate.
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Chapter sixteen
 
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1Malachi. This man was born in Sopha after the return, and while still a very
 
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2young man he led a virtuous life. And since the whole people honored him as holy and gently, it called him Malachi, which means angel; for he was indeed
 
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3beautiful to behold. Moreover, whatever he himself said in prophecy, on the same day an angel of God appeared and repeated (it), as happened also in the days of the anarchy as written in Spharphotim, that is, in the Book of Judges.
 
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4And while he was still a young man he was added to his fathers in his own field.
 
  
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==See also==
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*[[Prophet]]
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*[[Apocrypha]]
  
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Nathan
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==Notes==
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Chapter seventeen
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<references/>
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1Nathan, David’s prophet, was from Gaba, and it was he who taught him the
 
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2law of the Lord. And he saw that David would transgress in the Bathshebe (affair); and while he was hastening to go to tell him, Beliar hindered him, for by the road he found a dead man who had been murdered lying naked; and he
 
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3remained there, and that night he knew that (David) had committed the sin. And he returned weeping, and when (David) killed her husband, the Lord sent (him)
 
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4to rebuke him. And when he had grown very old he died and was buried in his own district.
 
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Ahijah
 
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Chapter eighteen
 
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1Ahijah was from Shiloh, where the tabernacle was in ancient times, of Eli’s
 
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2city. This man said concerning Solomon that he would give offense to the Lord.
 
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3And he rebuked Jeroboam, because he was going to walk deceitfully with the Lord; He saw a yoke of oxen trampling the people and running against the priests.
 
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4He also foretold to Solomon that his wives would change him and all his
 
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5posterity. And he died and was buried near the Oak of Shiloh.
 
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Joad
 
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Chapter nineteen
 
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1Joad was from Samereim. This is the one whom the lion attacked and he
 
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2died when he rebuked Jeroboam over the calves. And he was buried in Bethel near the false prophet who deceived him.
 
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Azariah
 
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Chapter twenty
 
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1Azariah was from the district of Sybatha, (it was he) who turned from Israel
 
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2the captivity of Judah. And he died and was buried in his own field.
 
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Elijah
 
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Chapter twenty one
 
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1Elijah, a Thesbite from the land of the Arabs of Aaron’s tribe, was living
 
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2in Gilead, for Thesbe was given to the priests. When he was to be born, his father Sobacha saw that men of shining white appearance were greeting him and
 
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3wrapping him in fire, and they gave him flames of fire to eat. And he went and reported (this) in Jerusalem, and the oracle told him, Do not be afraid, for his dwelling will be light and his word judgment, and he will judge Israel.
 
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4,5The signs which he did are these. Elijah prayed, and it did not rain for three
 
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6years, and after three years he prayed again and abundant rain came. In Zerephath of Sidon through the word of the Lord he made the jar of the widow not to fail
 
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7and the flask of oil not to diminish. Her son who had died God raised from the
 
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8dead after (Elijah) prayed. When the question was posed by him and the prophets of Baal concerning who is the true and real God, he proposed that a sacrifice be offered both by him and by them, and that fire not be placed under (it), but that
 
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9each should pray, and the one answering him would be God. Accordingly, the (prophets) of Baal prayed and cut themselves until the ninth hour, and no one answered them; and Elijah, when he had filled the place where the sacrifice was with much water, also prayed, and immediately fire came down and consumed
 
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10the sacrifice, and the water was gone. And all blessed God, and killed the four
 
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11hundred and fifty (prophets) of Baal. When King Ahaziah sent to obtain an oracle
 
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12from idols, (Elijah) prophesied death, and he died. When two captains of fifty were sent to him from Ahaziah, the king of Israel, he invoked the Lord and fire came down from heaven, and the fire consumed them at the Lord’s command.
 
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13,14Ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the afternoon. With a sheepskin he struck the Jordan and it was divided, and they crossed over with
 
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15dry feet, both he and Elisha. Finally he was taken up in a chariot of fire.
 
−
 
−
 
−
Elisha
 
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Chapter twenty two
 
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1,2 Elisha was from Abel Meholah in the land of Reuben. And a marvel occurred concerning this man, for when he was born in Gilgal, the golden calf bellowed shrilly, so that it was heard in Jerusalem, and the priest declared through the Urim that a prophet had been born to Israel who would destroy their carved
 
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3images and molten idols And when he died, he was buried in Samaria.
 
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4,5The signs which he did are these. He too struck the Jordan with Elijah’s
 
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6sheepskin, and the water was divided, and he too passed over with dry feet. The water in Jericho was foul and sterile; and hearing this water, and no longer will death
 
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7and sterility issue from it, and the water has remained healed to this day. When children treated him disrespectfully, he cursed them, and two bears came out and
 
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8tore to pieces forty-two of them. The wife of a prophet who had died was being pestered by creditors, and was unable to pay; she came to Elisha, and he commanded her to gather new vessels, as many as she could, and to pour the (jar) containing very little oil into them until the vessels were full; and she did this and filled the vessels and repaid her creditors, and she had the surplus for the
 
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9sustenance of her children. He went to Shunem and stayed with a certain woman; she was not able to bear a child, but earnestly desired to have one; he prayed and made her able to conceive and give birth; then, when the child died, he prayed
 
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10again and raised it from the dead. He went to Gilgal and was brought before the sons of the prophets; and when the food was boiled, and a deadly herb was boiled with the food, and they were all on the brink of danger, he made the food harmless
 
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11and sweet. When the sons of the prophets were felling trees by the Jordan, the axehead fell off and sank; and Elisha, praying, made the axehead float to the
 
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12,13surface. Through him Naaman the Syrian was cleansed of leprosy. When his servant, named Gehazi, went to Naaman secretly, against his wishes, and asked for silver, and later upon returning denied it, Elisha rebuked and cursed him, and
 
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14he became a leper. When the king of Syria was making war against Israel, he
 
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15protected the king of Israel by announcing to him the plans of the enemy. When the king of Syria learned this he sent a force to bring the prophet, but he prayed and made them to be struck with blindness, and he led them to Samaria, to their
 
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16enemies, but keeping them unharmed he preserved and fed them. When the king
 
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17of Syria learned this he stopped making war. After Elisha’s death a man died, and as he was being buried he was thrown onto his bones, and just as he touched Elisha’s bones the dead man revived immediately.
 
−
 
−
 
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Zechariah son of Jehoiada
 
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Chapter twenty three
 
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1Zechariah was from Jerusalem, son of Jehoida the priest, and Joash the king of Judah killed him near the altar, and the house of David poured out his blood in front of the Ailam, and the priests took him and buried him with his father.
 
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2From that time visible portents occurred in the Temple, and the priests were not able to see a vision of angels of God or to give oracles from the Dabeir, or to inquire by the Ephod, or to answer the people through Urim as formerly.
 
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−
 
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Conclusion
 
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Chapter twenty four
 
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1And other prophets became hidden, whose names are contained in their genealogies in the books of the names of Israel; for the whole race of Israel are enrolled by name.
 
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==Influence==
 
−
==See also==
 
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
==External links==
+
*Blenkinsopp, Joseph. ''A History of Prophecy in Israel.'' Westminster John Knox Press, 1996. ISBN 0664256392
 +
*Heschel, Abraham. ''The Prophets''. Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2001. ISBN 0060936991
 +
*Podhoretz, Norman. ''The Prophets: Who They Were, What They Are''. Free Press, 2002. ISBN 0743219279
 +
*Satran, David. ''Biblical Prophets in Byzantine Palestine: Reassessing the Lives of the Prophets''. Studia in Veteris Testamenti pseudepigrapha, v. 11. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1995. ISBN 9789004102347
 +
*Torrey, Charles Cutler. ''The Lives of the Prophets; Greek Text and Translation''. Philadelphia: Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, 1946. OCLC 1436865
  
 
[[Category:religion]]
 
[[Category:religion]]
 
[[category:Judaism]]
 
[[category:Judaism]]
 
[[Category:Bible]]
 
[[Category:Bible]]
 +
[[Category:religious figures]]
 +
[[Category:literature]]
 +
[[Category:Christianity]]
 
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{{credit|139254712}}

Latest revision as of 18:11, 24 July 2018

Jonah preaching at Nineveh

The Lives of the Prophets is an ancient apocryphal account of the lives of the authors of the prophetical books of the Hebrew Bible and several other biblical prophets. Although its biographies of the prophets are sketchy at best, the book does provide a number of details about their lives that are not found in the biblical text. The historicity of these reports, however, is doubtful.

Although the Bible says little about the lives of most of the biblical prophets, there was a growing tradition around the turn of the Common Era that some of the prophets had been martyred. The Lives of the Prophets continues this tradition and may have been in part responsible for popularizing it. Among the violent deaths described in the Lives are those of Isaiah by being sawn in two, Jeremiah by stoning, and Ezekiel by a similar execution.

The work survives only in Christian manuscripts which contain numerous additions that support Christian theology, but some of its stories are repeated in Jewish midrashic and Talmudic accounts. The martyrdom of the prophets is also referred to several times in the New Testament.

The text

The text of the Lives of the Prophets was apparently compiled from various oral and written sources. The current Greek manuscripts derive from an older source probably composed shortly before or during the beginning of the first century C.E. in Hebrew or Aramaic/Syriac, by a Jewish writer familiar with Jerusalem, as well as with the geography of Judea and the Galilee. Much of the material is legendary, and it is difficult to know its exact origins. Some commentators suggest that the Jeremiah material came from a written Jewish source from Egypt, while the reports of the prophets' supposed martyrdoms may have circulated in the Judean oral tradition for centuries.

Despite its Jewish origins, the current text betrays several Christian additions indicating later scribal tampering with the text. Some manuscripts also rearrange the order of the material, while others include summaries of biblical information concerning the prophets' biographies that do not appear in other, shorter manuscripts.

Summary

The text begins by explaining its basic purpose, to provide: "The names of the prophets, and where they are from, and where they died and how, and where the[ir graves] lie." The major literary prophets are dealt with first: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, as well as Daniel. The text then proceeds to summarize the lives of the 12 minor prophets and a number of others who are mentioned in biblical narratives, such as Nathan, Elijah, Elisha and others.

Major prophets and Daniel

Ezekiel confronts the elders. In the Lives of the Prophets, Ezekiel is eventually martyred for his denunciations.

Isaiah. Following the tradition found in the Jewish sections of the apocryphal Ascension of Isaiah, the text reports that this prophet was killed by being sawed in two under the evil King Manasseh of Judah. A tradition is preserved that the miraculous powers of the waters of the Pool of Siloam (see John 9) were initiated as a result of Isaiah's prayer.

Jeremiah. Having escaped death several times previously, Jeremiah was later stoned to death by "his people" at Taphnai in Egypt and buried in honor near Pharaoh’s palace, because his prayers had delivered the Egyptians from poisonous snakes and other plagues.[1] His relics were reportedly moved to Alexandria and placed in a circle around the city, which was consequently likewise protected from asps and crocodiles.

A Christian addition to the text indicates that Jeremiah prophesied to the Egyptians concerning a savior who would be born of a virgin in a manger. The prophet is also greatly praised in more traditionally Jewish terms, and is said to dwell in the next world with Moses.

Ezekiel. This great prophet is said to have died in Babylonia where "the leader of the Israelite exiles" killed him after being reproved for worshiping of idols. Ezekiel was reportedly buried in the grave of Shem, after which the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron was modeled. The text also preserves an alternate tradition that Ezekiel was killed by an unidentified member of either the tribe of Dan or Gad, who had blamed him for cursing their children and flocks.

Daniel. This prophet was apparently unmarried, a "chaste man," whom the Jews of his day believed to be a eunuch. Various legends from the Book of Daniel are repeated and expanded upon. Daniel is reported to have died of natural causes and was buried with great honor in the royal tombs of Babylon.

Minor prophets

Hosea. Born of the tribe of Issachar, Hosea also died of natural causes and was buried in his home town of Belemoth. The text records an extra-biblical prophecy of Hosea, possibly of Christian origin, that "the Lord would arrive upon the earth if ever the oak which is in Shiloh were divided from itself." Some manuscripts add that twelve oaks indeed came from this one.

Micah was another of the prophets who became a martyr, according the the account of the Lives of the Prophets.

Micah. He is reported to have been killed by Joram of Israel, the son of King Ahab, after Micah rebuked him for Ahab's impiety. And was reportedly buried in his home district on the "burial ground of the Anakim"—the race of giants who were conquered by Caleb. The story of Joram's killing Micah is unlikely, however, since Micah prophesied around 735–700 B.C.E., more than a century after Joram's reign. The author may confuse this Micah with Micaiah son of Imlah, who was indeed a thorn in Ahab's side (1 Kings 22:1)

Amos. This northern prophet was tortured severely by Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, against whom Amos had prophesied. He was then mortally wounded with a club by Amaziah's son. Amos was able to make his way back to his own district of Tekoa, where he soon died and was buried there.

Joel. Died in peace and was buried the territory of Reuben.

Obadiah. Said to be the same Obadiah who was once the steward of King Ahab's palace, he is identified as a disciple of Elijah from the area near Shechem who later left the evil king's service, became a prophet, and wrote the Book of Obadiah.

Jonah. He reportedly lived during the time of Elijah and hailed from a village near the Greek city of Azotus. The fact that the text here mentions Elijah's resurrection of a widow's son may be the source of a rabbinical tradition that this child was Jonah. In any case, after his time at Nineveh, Jonah traveled with his mother and lived among the Gentiles, feeling embarrassed because, "I spoke falsely in prophesying against the great city of Nineveh." The text also gives an otherwise unreported prophecy of Jonah: "When they see a stone crying out, the end will be at hand, and when they see all the Gentiles in Jerusalem, the entire city will be razed to the ground.[2] Returning to the land of Judah after the famine of Elijah's day, Jonah buried his mother near Deborah’s Oak and was himself buried in the cave of Kenaz, the relative of Caleb.

Nahum. Probably based on the Book of Nahum's prophecies concerning Nineveh, Nahum is described as Jonah's successor as God's prophet of doom to that city. Nahum predicted that the city would be destroyed by fresh water and an underground fire. Unlike the embarrassed Jonah, Nahum spoke truly, as the author reports that the lake which surrounded Nineveh inundated it during an earthquake, and a forest fire spread to the upper city. Nahum, too, died in peace and was buried in his own district.

Habakkuk. This prophet fled from Jerusalem in the face of Nebuchadnezzar II's advance and lived in exile "in the land of Ishmael." He later went to Babylon, where he was acquainted with the prophet Daniel.

Zephaniah. The book which bears his name is very briefly summarized and it is reported that "he died and was buried in his field."

Haggai. This prophet came from Babylon to Jerusalem, as a youth and witnessed the rebuilding of the Temple. He was buried in honor in the tomb of the Jewish priests.

Zechariah. He returned to Jerusalem from Babylonia as an old man and became a very active prophet in the holy city. It was he who named Shealtiel's son Zerubbabel and blessed him. The text claims that Zechariah had earlier prophesied the victories of Cyrus the Great of Persia and his role in allowing the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem.[3] He died at a great age and was buried near Haggai.

Malachi. A man of great piety and physical appeal, Malachi was given his name, which means angel, not by his parents but by his people. His prophecies were always confirmed on the same day by an angel of God. He died, apparently of natural causes, while still young.

Other prophets

The Lives of the Prophets reports that Nathan (left) tried to warn King David ahead of time not to sin with Bathsheba, but was prevented from doing so by the Devil.

Nathan. It was Nathan who taught King David the Law of Moses. He foresaw that David would sin with Bathsheba but was hindered from warning him by the Devil. Nathan died of natural causes when he was very old.

Ahijah. Hailing from Shiloh, Ahijah predicted that Solomon would sin against God and warned the king concerning his foreign wives. He also warned Jeroboam I not to "walk deceitfully with the Lord." Ahijah is reported to have seen a vision of "a yoke of oxen trampling the people and running against the priests," a possible reference to the golden calves of Dan and Bethel. He was buried near the Oak of Shiloh mentioned in the story of Hosea.

Joad. This is the name given to the prophet of 1 Kings 13, who was attacked and killed by a lion after he rebuked Jeroboam I concerning the unauthorized altar at Bethel.

Azariah. This is the Azariah son of Obed mentioned in 2 Chronicles 15:1. The text claims it was he who "turned from Israel the captivity of Judah," apparently a mangled rendering of what should read "turned Judah away from the captivity of Israel," a reference to Azariah's effective prophesying to King Asa of Judah to do away with idolatry.

Elijah. Described as a descendant of Aaron, Elijah's father, Shobach, had a vision of angelic figures wrapping his child in fire and feeding him with flames. Some manuscripts go on to summarize Elijah's biblical ministry. The story of his resurrection of the widow's son is detailed in the section on Jonah.

Elisha. When this prophet was born in Gilgal, the infamous golden calf bellowed so shrilly that it was heard in Jerusalem.[4] As in the case of Elijah, some manuscripts summarize his activities as described in the Bible. At his death, Elisha was buried in the northern capital of Samaria.

Zechariah son of Jehoiada. This Zechariah was the high priest's son who denounced his cousin, King Jehoash of Judah, and was immediately stoned to death in the Temple courtyard. He was buried with his father Jehoiada. From that time on several unspecified bad omens occurred in the Temple, and the priests' visionary and oracular powers of the priests came to an end.

Influence

Saint Stephen may have based his opinion on the Lives of the Prophets when he asked: "Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute?"

A number of later rabbinical traditions concerning the prophets find their first known written expression in the Lives of the Prophets, for example the story of Nathan's being hindered by the Devil from warning David about Bathsheba, the idea that the writer of the prophetic Book of Obadiah was originally the same Obadiah who worked for King Ahab, and the prospect that Jonah was the widow's child resurrected by Elijah.

However, the Lives, or at least the traditions that it preserves, may have had an even more profound impact on Christian tradition. The Hebrew Bible itself is silent about the deaths of most prophets, the case of Zechariah the son of Jehoiada being a notable exception. Yet Jesus is quoted as saying "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you." (Luke 13:34) Saint Paul writes to the Thessalonians that the Jews "killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets..." (1 Thessalonians 2:14-15); and the Book of Acts reports Saint Stephen as declaring, just before his martyrdom: "Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One." (Acts 7:52)

None of these denunciations seems justified by the Old Testament biblical record alone. However, if one accepts the testimony of the Lives of the Prophets, then the three greatest Judean prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel—were all killed by their own people or rulers because of their prophetic activity. So were the important northern prophets Amos and Micah. The supposed martyrdom of Isaiah was probably known from other sources as well, namely the Jewish part of the Ascension of Isaiah, but the traditions preserved in the Lives also seem to have been known among first-century Jews. If so, the early Christian denunciations of the treatment of the prophets by the Jews are more understandable, even if not historically accurate.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Some commentators have noted the similarity of this account to the later legend of Saint Patrick driving the snakes from Ireland.
  2. ↑ This prophecy could provide an alternate interpretation of the meaning of the "sign of Jonah" referred to by Jesus in Matthew 16:4.
  3. ↑ Such a prophecy is recorded in the Book of Isaiah—or Deutero-Isaiah according to modern theories—but not in the Book of Zechariah. Could this account provide a hint that Zechariah was one of the writers that produced the Deutero-Isaiah material?
  4. ↑ This passage apparently preserves a tradition that one of the golden calves was at Gilgal rather than Dan.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Blenkinsopp, Joseph. A History of Prophecy in Israel. Westminster John Knox Press, 1996. ISBN 0664256392
  • Heschel, Abraham. The Prophets. Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2001. ISBN 0060936991
  • Podhoretz, Norman. The Prophets: Who They Were, What They Are. Free Press, 2002. ISBN 0743219279
  • Satran, David. Biblical Prophets in Byzantine Palestine: Reassessing the Lives of the Prophets. Studia in Veteris Testamenti pseudepigrapha, v. 11. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1995. ISBN 9789004102347
  • Torrey, Charles Cutler. The Lives of the Prophets; Greek Text and Translation. Philadelphia: Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, 1946. OCLC 1436865

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