Soul Catchers :: essays research papers

Soul Catchers A most interesting film detailing the history and role of the prophet in the Jewish tradition. The prototypical question we must explore is what a prophet is. A prophet by definition is a person who speaks by divine inspiration. Others will declare that a prophet is one whose eye is open. A person who can see things that others cannot. In order to understand the prophets and their appearance in history we must first understand the politics of the times. In the eleventh century BCE Israel is divided into twelve tribes. The prophet Samuel is called upon to bring the people under one ruler or king and lead Israel into a monarchy. However this brings a major split and for the first time we find a military and political leader, the King, along with a spiritual leader, or the prophet. The prophet played the role of moral keeper and would make sure that the King was ruling justly and keeping the Law of God. Prophets began to extend in packs receiving the presence of God t hrough trace like states. The prophet Elijah emerges place of these traveling prophets around 886 BCE and begins to speak publicly. Elijah had a big problem with the King. The Kings madam was from a pagan religion and had brought about the worship of other Gods. Elijah addresses the King publicly and challenges the other Gods to make fire. They of course cant match the vainglorious Guy and Elijah triumphs and rides away into the sky leaving behind his robe passing on the power of prophecy. So ends the spoken prophets.Later around 792 BCE, the writing prophets tot up about with the powerful speaker Amos. Amos says a bunch of things that no one wants to hear such as the downfall of Israels Northern Kingdom and the remnant of the King. Then he really upsets everyone by saying that Israel will be sent into exile. About 742 BCE the most known prophet, Isaiah comes on the scene. Now this far out guy walks the streets naked for three years telling the King not to ally with the Assyria ns. He also speaks of how Jerusalem will be saved from the Assyrians. The Assyrians outweart invade Jerusalem but the Northern Kingdom is destroyed just as Amos predicted fifty years earlier. Finally one of the last and least liked of the prophets comes about around 626 BCE and his name is Jeremiah.