Publisher's Synopsis
The prophetic literature represented in the Bible, and the message of the prophets is studied in a wide context in Sawyer's book. All the prophets from Moses to Huldah, and the prophetic books from Isaiah to Malachi are surveyed. In addition to discussions of how things were in ancient Israel, Professor Sawyer pays particular attention to legends about the prophets, both canonical and apocryphal, many of which have been considerably more influential in the history of western civilization than the prophets original words. A final chapter deals with Jewish, Christian, and Muslim interpretation, and the matter of the fulfilment of prophecy. There is a full bibliography to supplement the brevity of the discussion of so wide a range of topics in a small volume, and an index of passages discussed.