Prophets in Judaism
According to the Talmud, there were 48 prophets and 7 prophetesses of Judaism.[1][2] The last Jewish prophet is believed to have been Malachi. In Jewish tradition it is believed that the period of prophecy, called Nevuah, ended with Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi at which time the "Shechinah departed from Israel".[3][4]
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Rabbinic tradition
According to the Talmud, there were 48 prophets and 7 prophetesses who prophesied to Israel.[5][1]
The 48 prophets to Israel
- Abraham – Hebrew patriarch according to the Bible
- Isaac – Biblical patriarch, son of Abraham and Sarah
- Jacob – Regarded Patriarch of the Israelites
- Moses – Abrahamic prophet said to have led the Israelites out of Egypt
- Aaron – Prophet, high priest, and the brother of Moses in the Abrahamic religions
- Joshua – Central figure in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua
- Phinehas – Biblical priest and prophet who opposed the heresy of Peor
- Eli – High priest of Shiloh in ancient Israel
- Elkanah – Husband of Hannah and father of Samuel in the Books of Samuel
- Samuel – Biblical prophet and seer
- Gad – Seer or prophet mentioned in the Hebrew Bible
- Natan – Person in the Hebrew Bible
- David – Biblical figure and Israelite monarch
- Ahijah the Shilonite – Biblical prophet
- Solomon – Biblical monarch of ancient Israel
- Shemaiah – Bible prophet credited with preventing a war between the divided kingdoms of Rehoboam and Jeroboam
- Iddo – Minor biblical prophet
- Obadiah – Biblical prophet to whom authorship of the Book of Obadiah is attributed
- Jehu – Biblical prophet and son of Hanani
- Oded – Father of Azariah the prophet
- Azariah – Biblical prophet credited with persuading King Asa of Judah to carry out reforms
- Hanani – Biblical character
- Jahaziel – Prophet in the Hebrew Bible
- Eliezer – Name shared by multiple Biblical figures
- Elijah – Biblical prophet
- Elisha – Prophet and wonder-worker in the Hebrew Bible
- Micaiah – Biblical prophet, disciple of Elijah
- Jonah – Biblical and Quranic prophet
- Amos – Hebrew prophet
- Hosea – Biblical character
- Amoz – Father of Isaiah
- Isaiah – Israelite prophet
- Micah – Prophet in Judaism
- Joel – Abrahamic prophet, author of the Book of Joel
- Zephaniah – Biblical figure
- Nahum – Minor prophet in the Bible
- Habakkuk – Prophet of the Hebrew Bible
- Urijah – Biblical prophet, son of Shemaiah
- Jeremiah – Biblical prophet
- Ezekiel – Prophet in the Abrahamic religions
- Mehseiah – Minor figure in the Hebrew Bible
- Neriah – Biblical figure, father of Baruch and Seraiah
- Baruch ben Neriah – Biblical character, friend of prophet Jeremiah
- Seraiah
- Haggai – Hebrew prophet
- Zechariah – Biblical prophet
- Mordechai Bilshan – Biblical figure
- Malachi – Traditional writer of the Book of Malachi
The 7 prophetesses to Israel
- Sarah – Biblical character
- Miriam – Sister of Moses and Aaron
- Deborah – Prophetess in the Bible
- Hannah – Biblical prophetess, traditional author of the Song of Hannah, mother of Samuel
- Abigail – Wife of King David in the Bible
- Huldah – Biblical character
- Esther – Biblical Jewish queen of Persia and Medes
Additional prophets
Although the Talmud states that only “48 prophets and 7 prophetesses prophesied to Israel”,[6] it does not mean that there were only 55 prophets. The Talmud challenges this with other examples, and concludes by citing a Baraita tradition that the number of prophets in the era of prophecy was double the number of Israelites who left Egypt (600,000 males). The 55 prophets are recorded, because they made prophecies that have eternal relevance for future generations and not just for their own generation, or own ecstatic encounter with God.[7][8] Hebrew scripture makes references to groups of such ecstatic prophets, for example concerning King Saul:
10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said one to another: ‘What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?’ 12 And one of the same place answered and said: ‘And who is their father?’ Therefore it became a proverb: ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’ 13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.[9]
See also
References
- Scherman, Nosson. The Stone Edition Tanach. Mesorah Publications, Limited. p. 2038.
- Megillah 14a and glosses ad loc.
- A Dictionary of the Jewish-Christian Dialogue, Paulist Press (1995), p167.
- Light of Prophecy Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America/National Conference of Synagogue Youth (1990), p6.
- Megillah 14a and glosses ad loc.
- Talmud, Tractate Megillah 14a
- Why Isn't the Book of Daniel Part of the Prophets? from Chabad.org, footnote 2
- Talmud Megilla 14a
- 1 Samuel 10-13
- Bava Batra 15b