Amos (prophet)
| Amos | |
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 An 18th century Russian icon of the prophet Amos (Iconostasis of Transfiguration Church, Kizhi monastery, Karelia, Russia). |
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| Prophet | |
| Born | Tekoa |
| Died | 745 B.C. |
| Honored in | Judaism Christianity Islam |
| Feast | June 15 (Orthodox) |
| Attributes | Prophet |
| Major work(s) | Book of Amos |
Amos (/ˈeɪməs/; Hebrew: עָמוֹס , Modern Amos Tiberian ʻāmōs) is a minor prophet in the Old Testament, and the author of the Book of Amos. He lived in Israel during the 8th century BCE.
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Life[edit]
Before becoming a prophet, Amos was a sheep herder and a sycamore fig farmer.[1] Amos' prior professions and his claim "I am not a prophet nor a son of a prophet" (7:14) indicate that Amos was not from the school of prophets, which Amos claims makes him a true prophet (7:15).
His prophetic career began in 750 BC out of the town of Tekoa, in Judah, south of Jerusalem.[1]
Despite being from the southern kingdom of Judah Amos' prophetic message was aimed at the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly the cities of Samaria and Bethel.[2]
The apocryphal work The Lives of the Prophets records that Amos was killed by the son of Amaziah, priest of Bethel. It further states that before he died, Amos made his way back to his homeland and was buried there.[3]
Works[edit]
The Book of Amos is one of the twelve minor prophets. Most Bibles place it third in sequence, after the Book of Joel and before the Book of Obadiah. The nine chapters of Amos' book bring three accusations of breaking God's covenant.
Feast day[edit]
On the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, Amos' feast day is celebrated on June 15 (for those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar, June 15 currently falls on June 28th of the modern Gregorian Calendar). He is commemorated along with the other minor prophets in the Calendar of Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on July 31.
Teachings[edit]
Two of his teachings are:
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- Prayers and sacrifices do not make up for bad deeds
- Behaving justly is much more important than ritual
References[edit]
- ^ a b Coogan, Michael. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament. Page 257. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- ^ Dearman, J Andrew. Amos. Harper Collins Study Bible. Edited by Meeks, Wayne A. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 2006.
- ^ Anderson, Francis I., and David Noel Freedman, Amos, The Anchor Yale Bible, vol. 24A, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008. Page 24.
Further reading[edit]
- Anderson, Bernhard W. & Foster R. McCurley The Eighth Century Prophets: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah Wipf and Stock: 2003. ISBN 1-59244-354-0
- Anderson, Francis I. & David Noel Freedman, Amos, The Anchor Yale Bible, vol. 24A; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-300-14070-5
- Rosenbaum, Stanley Ned Amos of Israel: A New Interpretation Georgia: Mercer University Press: 1990. ISBN 0-86554-355-0
- Lemmo, Peter S. & Greenblatt, Meriam "Glencoe Human Heritage: A World History" NY: McGraw-Hill Companies: 2004 ISBN 0-07-846240-4027
External links[edit]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "article name needed". Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.
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