Introduction to Course--Syllabus
--The Minor Prophets and History (see chart and discussion below)
We will study the prophets in a
more or less chronological order, which will not always be according the OT
canon.
--Note that our 1st
section will include the 8th century Minor Prophets (Hosea,
Amos, Micah).
--The 2nd section will
cover primarily 7th century prophets (note the exception of
Joel).
--The final section will include post-exilic
prophets.
--The Minor Prophets and the Canon
Note that some difference exists in
Hebrew (English) and LXX canons, particularly in book order. This may suggest
a difference in traditions concerning dating. For example, Joel
is placed much later in LXX canon, suggesting to some a later date. The student
will see some reference to this in the reading.
--The Minor Prophets and the Hebrew Text
Note that at some places the
Hebrew and English verses will differ. Many critical works that are based
on the Hebrew text, rather than the English text, will follow the Hebrew in
discussion and place the English in parentheses. The student should watch for
this when researching, in order to avoid confusion.
--Historical Overview
--State Formation & Early prophetic traditions
--In the middle of the 10th
century B.C., Israel made its way into statehood. While the exact nature of the
state of early Israel is highly debated, most scholars accept the existence of
the state under the kings of David and Solomon in the 10th century.[1]
Several prophets appear during the early days of Israel (i.e. Samuel, Nathan,
& Gad). These prophets served primarily to deliver a prophetic word
concerning God’s will to the king.
--When Israel split into Israel and
Judah in approximately 930 B.C., Ahijah and Shemaiah were both prophets who
delivered a word from God to the king or prospective king.
--In the 9th century,
Elijah and Elisha appear as faithful prophets, delivering God’s word to His
people and performing a variety of miraculous deeds. Their ministries fall
during the reigns of Ahab, Joram, and Jehu of Israel, the northern kingdom.
--Eighth Century Developments
--The prophetic traditions found in
the books of the Latter Prophets first appear in the 8th century.
The books of Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah were written during the 8th
century. The following outline of events will illustrate the background for
these books.
--Jeroboam II (786-746) and Uzziah
(783-742)[2]
reigned during a time of relative wealth, peace, and stability. During the
first half of the 8th century, Assyrian power went through a period
of decline, allowing Israel, Judah, Aram, and other surrounding states to enjoy
a period of peace. The superscription of the Books of Isaiah, Hosea, and Amos
date the beginning of these prophets’ ministries to the reigns of Jeroboam and
Uzziah.
--After these two long and
successful reigns, a period of turmoil ensued fairly rapidly. After a 40 year
reign by Jeroboam, Israel had six kings in the next 25 years. By 735,
Tiglath-Pileser III was rebuilding Assyria’s hegemony over the western lands,
including Aram-Damascus, Israel, and Judah. His rise to power prompted the
events leading to the Syro-Ephraimite War of 734, which in turn incited
Tiglath-Pileser’s defeat of Aram and Israel in three campaigns, 734-732. While
Israel continued to exist at least semi-independently, Assyria was firmly in
control. Assyria defeated Israel and destroyed Samaria for the final time in
722/721, after Israel’s final king, Hoshea, rebelled against Shalmaneser V,
Tiglath-Pileser’s successor.
--The turmoil of these times may
well underlie the prophecies of Hosea. Micah, on the other hand, prophesied in
Judah, where Assyrian hegemony did not bring the immediate complexities to
life.
--Seventh Century Developments
--The first several decades of the
7th century were a time of relative prophetic silence in Judah, with
the Assyrians in firm control and the evil king Manasseh at the helm of the
nation. During the final few decades of the 7th century brought
great changes.
-- Josiah (640-609) reigned during
the lull between Assyrian and Babylonian hegemony. He undertook great religious
and political reforms, as described at length in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles.
Unfortunately, his attempts at reform were cut short by a premature death in
battle against the Egyptian pharaoh, Necho, in 609.
--Jehoiakim (609-598/597), Josiah’
son, reigned during the beginning of Babylonian power. He overturned Josiah’s
reforms, returning to the syncretistic pagan worship of Josiah’s predecessors.
--Nahum, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk
all preached during this period (of course, not all scholars agree, but these
would be consensus dates). Nahum proclaimed the defeat of Assyria. Zephaniah
called the nation to faithfulness to God, and to rejection of idolatry and
injustice. Habakkuk cried out to God for justice to be meted out to Judah, but
then questioned God’s choice of evil Babylon as a source of that judgment.
--Exile and the Post-exilic Period
--The destruction of Jerusalem and
defeat of Judah in 587/586 marked the end of the kingdom of Judah/Israel and
beginning of a period of exile. This exile would last until the Persian king,
Cyrus, overthrew Babylon in 539 and began returning exiled peoples to their
homelands. Judah was among those people allowed to return and rebuild their
homelands and their temples.
--Obadiah probably preached
immediately following the defeat of Jerusalem in 586, when the Edomites
apparently took advantage of Judah’s defeat to enrich their own nation.
--Haggai and Zechariah preached
during 520 B.C., during the rebuilding process. Both of these prophets called
on the people of Judah to complete the task of rebuilding the temple of the
Lord.
[1] See Dever, What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002) for this discussion. Much of the 1st two chapters deals with this issue.
[2] The dates used in these notes are primarily from Bright, A History of Israel, 3d Ed. (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1981). Other dating schemes include J. Maxwell Miller and John Hayes, A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. (Philadelphia: Westminster/John Knox,1986).