Lives of the Prophets

The Lives of the Prophets is an ancient apocryphal 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."

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 martyred. 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.

The work survives only in Christian manuscripts, but some of its stories are repeated in Jewish midrashic 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 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.

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.

Summary

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.

Major prophets and Daniel

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.

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 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.

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 was one of them. For they opposed him all the days of his life."

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.

Minor prophets

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.

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 B.C.E., more than a century after Joram's reign.

Amos. Tortured severely by Amaziah the priest of Bethel, against whom Amos had prophesied, and mortally wounded with a club by Amaziah's son. However, Amos was able to make his way back 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. His is identified as a disciple of Elijah from the area near Shechem who later left the king's service became a prophet, and apparently wrote the Book of Obadiah. The text erroneously refers to Ahab as Ahaziah.

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 the 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 gives an otherwise unreported prophecy of Jonah: "Whenever they should see 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." Returning to the land of Judah after the famine of Elijah's day, he 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 to city. Nahum predicted that the city would be destroyed by fresh water and an underground fire, a prophecy which the writer claims came to pass when 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 Jerusalem in the fact of Nebuchadnezzar and live 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. 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. Returned to Jerusalem from Babylonia as an old man and became an active prophet in the holy city. It was he who named Shealtiel's son Zerubbabel and blessed him. The text claims that Zechariah prophesied the victories of Cyrus the Great of Persia and his role in allowing the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem. 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

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 bull calves of Dan and Bethel. Ahijah was buried near the Oak of Shiloh.

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, named 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.

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

Zechariah son of Jehoiada. This Zechariah was the son of high priest Jehoida who denounced his cousin King Jehoash of Judah and was stoned to death in the Temple courtyard. He was buried with his father. 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

A number of later rabbinical traditions concerning the prophets find their first written expression in the Lives of the Prophets, for example the idea that the writer of the prophetic Book of Obadiah was originally the man by that name who worked as the steward of King Ahab and the tantalizing prospect that Jonah was the widow's child resurrected by Elijah.

However, the Lives, or at least the traditions 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 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 Satin Stephen declaring, just before his martyrdom: "Acts 7:52 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. However, if one accepts the testimony of the Lives of the Prophets the three greatest prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel—were all killed by their own people or rulers because of their prophetic activity. To be sure, the supposed martyrdom of Isaiah was known from other sources as well, namely the Ascension of Isaiah, but the traditions preserved in the Lives may have been known as well, making the Christian denunciation of the treatment of the prophets more understandable, even if not historically accurate.

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