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]

Rabbinic tradition

According to the Talmud, there were 48 prophets and 7 prophetesses who prophesied to Israel.[5][1]

The 48 prophets to Israel

  1. Abraham – Hebrew patriarch according to the Bible
  2. Isaac – Biblical patriarch, son of Abraham and Sarah
  3. Jacob – Regarded Patriarch of the Israelites
  4. Moses – Abrahamic prophet said to have led the Israelites out of Egypt
  5. Aaron – Prophet, high priest, and the brother of Moses in the Abrahamic religions
  6. Joshua – Central figure in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua
  7. Phinehas – Biblical priest and prophet who opposed the heresy of Peor
  8. Eli – High priest of Shiloh in ancient Israel
  9. Elkanah – Husband of Hannah and father of Samuel in the Books of Samuel
  10. Samuel – Biblical prophet and seer
  11. Gad – Seer or prophet mentioned in the Hebrew Bible
  12. Natan – Person in the Hebrew Bible
  13. David – Biblical figure and Israelite monarch
  14. Ahijah the Shilonite – Biblical prophet
  15. Solomon – Biblical monarch of ancient Israel
  16. Shemaiah – Bible prophet credited with preventing a war between the divided kingdoms of Rehoboam and Jeroboam
  17. Iddo – Minor biblical prophet
  18. Obadiah – Biblical prophet to whom authorship of the Book of Obadiah is attributed
  19. Jehu – Biblical prophet and son of Hanani
  20. Oded – Father of Azariah the prophet
  21. Azariah – Biblical prophet credited with persuading King Asa of Judah to carry out reforms
  22. Hanani – Biblical character
  23. Jahaziel – Prophet in the Hebrew Bible
  24. Eliezer – Name shared by multiple Biblical figures
  25. Elijah – Biblical prophet
  26. Elisha – Prophet and wonder-worker in the Hebrew Bible
  27. Micaiah – Biblical prophet, disciple of Elijah
  28. Jonah – Biblical and Quranic prophet
  29. Amos – Hebrew prophet
  30. Hosea – Biblical character
  31. Amoz – Father of Isaiah
  32. Isaiah – Israelite prophet
  33. Micah – Prophet in Judaism
  34. Joel – Abrahamic prophet, author of the Book of Joel
  35. Zephaniah – Biblical figure
  36. Nahum – Minor prophet in the Bible
  37. Habakkuk – Prophet of the Hebrew Bible
  38. Urijah – Biblical prophet, son of Shemaiah
  39. Jeremiah – Biblical prophet
  40. Ezekiel – Prophet in the Abrahamic religions
  41. Mehseiah – Minor figure in the Hebrew Bible
  42. Neriah – Biblical figure, father of Baruch and Seraiah
  43. Baruch ben Neriah – Biblical character, friend of prophet Jeremiah
  44. Seraiah
  45. Haggai – Hebrew prophet
  46. Zechariah – Biblical prophet
  47. Mordechai Bilshan – Biblical figure
  48. Malachi – Traditional writer of the Book of Malachi

The 7 prophetesses to Israel

  1. Sarah – Biblical character
  2. Miriam – Sister of Moses and Aaron
  3. Deborah – Prophetess in the Bible
  4. Hannah – Biblical prophetess, traditional author of the Song of Hannah, mother of Samuel
  5. Abigail – Wife of King David in the Bible
  6. Huldah – Biblical character
  7. 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]

Prophets to other nations

The Talmud lists 7 prophets to the nations of the world (gentiles):[10]

  1. Balaam – Prophet in the Book of Numbers
  2. Beor – Biblical figure, father of Balaam
  3. Job – Biblical figure
  4. Eliphaz – Biblical figure, an associate of Job
  5. Bildad – Biblical figure, an associate of Job
  6. Zophar – Biblical figure, an associate of Job
  7. Elihu – Biblical figure, an associate of Job

See also

References

  1. Scherman, Nosson. The Stone Edition Tanach. Mesorah Publications, Limited. p. 2038.
  2. Megillah 14a and glosses ad loc.
  3. A Dictionary of the Jewish-Christian Dialogue, Paulist Press (1995), p167.
  4. Light of Prophecy Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America/National Conference of Synagogue Youth (1990), p6.
  5. Megillah 14a and glosses ad loc.
  6. Talmud, Tractate Megillah 14a
  7. Why Isn't the Book of Daniel Part of the Prophets? from Chabad.org, footnote 2
  8. Talmud Megilla 14a
  9. 1 Samuel 10-13
  10. Bava Batra 15b
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