לר and ןדיבא

Abstract

"A number of recent studies of the book of Amos have been concerned with the sociological characterization of the prophet. In particular, several have attempted to define the political intent of the prophet and/or the book which bears his name. Morris Silver has argued that "the classical prophets sought, with the support of Israel- Judah's affluents, to commit the rulers to programs of social amelioration and regeneration. " With regard to the prophet Amos, Silver supports his argument with evidence drawn from certain reform minded literary parallels culled from various parts of the Ancient Near East and with a plausible reconstruction of the prophet's social positioning. Similarly, Max Polley relies upon a presupposed view of state religion imposed upon the prophet in order to provide a suitable context for his reading of the book. Whether or not Polley or Silver are correct, their work illustrates the difficulties involved in utilizing the biblical text while making sociological judgements. Regarding his own view of the prophets and their social function, Bernard Lang states that "this reading represents no more than an educated guess""