Lecture 16. Literary Prophecy: Amos
Channel: YaleCourses
Date: 2012-12-06

Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) (RLST 145) with Christine Hayes 

This lecture introduces the literary prophets of both the northern and southern kingdoms. The prophetic books are anthologies of oracles the sequence of which is often determined by literary rather than chronological considerations. This lecture studies the literary features and major themes of classical Israelite prophecy as evidenced in particular in the book of the eighth-century northern prophet Amos. The prophets denounced moral decay and false piety as directly responsible for the social injustice that outrages God. While the Deuteronomist blames the nation's misfortunes on acts of idolatry, the prophets stress that the nation will be punished for everyday incidents of immorality. The literary prophets counterbalance their warnings with messages of great hope and consolation.

00:00 - Chapter 1. An Introduction to the Literary Prophets 
05:32 - Chapter 2. Structure of and Literary Features in the Book of Amos 
22:29 - Chapter 3. Major Themes in the Book of Amos
33:51 - Chapter 4. Differences between Deuteronomistic and Prophetic Interpretations of Israel's History 

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://oyc.yale.edu

This course was recorded in Fall 2006.