Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel [Paperback]

Robert Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1980

Who were the prophets and what was their typical role in Israelite society? What light can be shed by comparisons with prophecy in the Ancient Near East and across cultures today? How should we understand the work of the scribes who produced the final forms of the prophetic writings?

In this second edition of his classic introduction, Robert Wilson leads the reader on a comprehensive study of this fascinating ancient phenomenon and its enduring significance, paying particular attention to recent developments in rhetorical, sociological, and literary-critical scholarship. Maps and key points at the beginning of each chapter make Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel an invaluable classroom resource.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert R. Wilson is Hoober Professor of Religious Studies and Old Testament at Yale Divinity School. His books include Sociological Approaches to the Old Testament (Fortress, 1984) and Canon, Theology and Old Testament Interpretation (edited with Gene M. Tucker and David L. Petersen; Fortress, 1988). His scholarly articles have appeared in the Journal of Biblical Literature, among others, and he has been a contributor to the Encyclopedia of Religion, the Harper Collins Study Bible, and the Anchor Bible Dictionary. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: Fortress Press (February 1, 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800618149
• ISBN-13: 978-0800618148
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,305 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Important reading for prophets and current criticism., February 7, 2005

By 

Robert Spender (Lancaster, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel (Paperback)

The paper back edition of Wilson's book makes a classic available to current students of the Old Testament prophets. Wilson brought increased attention to the school of social-science criticism with the publication of this volume. He applied the findings of modern anthropology, along with suggestions for a methodology, to the study of the Old Testament prophets. After a brief review of key contributions prior to his own work, Wilson suggests some guidelines for applying the results of current anthropological research to the study of the prophets. He examines some material on intermediation from modern (20th century) studies and then looks back at the ancient Near Eastern data in light of his conclusions. The remainder of the book studies the OT prophets in light of Wilson's conclusions from the anthropological data. The prophet's position as central or peripheral to their society is examined as well as the audience and prophet's function. Wilson sees a strong dichotomy between northern traditions (the Ephraimite tradition) and the southern Judah tradition as the basis of his work.

His work provides a penetrating review of the prophets of the Northern Kingdom and, although Wilson sees much in light of his own methodology, he raises some helpful questions, especially about how prophets reacted to their audience. His results, which often rest on less firm evidence, are then confirmed in light of his anthropological model. While Wilson's study is now dated (1980) it is still a valuable book for the study of prophecy and an important link in the development of the application of social-science criticism to the prophets.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but Complex, February 26, 2006

By 

Blake Scalet - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel (Paperback)

A scholarly and very insightful look at the socail context of prophecy in the Ancient Near East. The book develops categories and common aspects of the prophets in the Hebrew Scripture. However, the information is not very approachable nor is it a good beginning resource. The text is complex and makes heavy use of Hebrew and other terminology not in the venacular of most amateur students of the Bible vocabulary.