Soul Catchers :: essays research papers

                                   Soul Catchers      A most fire film detailing the history and role of the prophet in the Jewish tradition. The first question we must explore is what a prophet is. A prophet by definition is a person who speaks by noble inspiration. Others will say 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 bulk under one ruler or king and lead Israel into a monarchy. However this brings a major split and for the first time we look a military and political leader, the pansy, along with a spiritual leader, or the prophet. The pro phet played the role of moral keeper and would make certainly that the King was ruling justly and keeping the Law of God. Prophets began to travel in packs receiving the presence of God through trace like states. The prophet Elijah emerges by of these traveling prophets some 886 BCE and begins to speak publicly. Elijah had a big problem with the King. The Kings doll 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 bear upon the Big Guy and Elijah triumphs and rides away into the sky leaving behind his night-robe passing on the power of prophecy. So ends the spoken prophets.Later around 792 BCE, the writing prophets come about with the powerful speaker Amos. Amos says a heap of things that no one wants to hear such as the downfall of Israels Northern Kingdom and the death of the King. Then he really upsets everyone by saying that Israel will be sent into exile. About 742 BCE the most cognize prophet, Isaiah comes on the scene. Now this far out guy walks the streets naked for common chord years telling the King not to ally with the Assyrians. He besides speaks of how Jerusalem will be saved from the Assyrians. The Assyrians dont assail Jerusalem but the Northern Kingdom is destroyed just as Amos predicted fifty years earlier. Finally one of the last and least like of the prophets comes about around 626 BCE and his name is Jeremiah.