ABSTRACT

Said to contain the words of the earliest of the biblical prophets (8th century BCE), the book of Amos is reinterpreted by the author in light of new and sometimes controversial historical approaches to the Bible. Amos is read as the literary product of the Persian-era community in Judah. Its representations of divine-human communication are investigated in the context of the ancient writers' own role as transmitters and shapers of religious traditions. Amos's extraordinary poetry expresses mythical conceptions of divine manifestation and a process of destruction and recreation of the cosmos which reveals that behind the appearances of the natural world is a heavenly, cosmic temple.

part I|37 pages

Imagining Amos

chapter 1|10 pages

Landscaping Amos' Cosmic Temple

part II|59 pages

Speech and Theophany

chapter 3|6 pages

The Words of Amos: Amos 1:1-2

chapter 4|22 pages

Eight Nations: Amos 1:3-2:16

chapter 5|11 pages

The Mantle of Amos: Amos 3:1-15

chapter 6|17 pages

On Mountains and High Places: Amos 4:1-13

part III|31 pages

Speech and Silence

chapter 7|11 pages

Lament: Amos 5:1-17

chapter 8|7 pages

Festival of Exile: Amos 5:18-27

chapter 9|9 pages

No One, No Sound, Nothing: Amos 6

part IV|46 pages

Who Will Not Prophesy?

chapter 10|17 pages

Deception: Amos 7:1-17

chapter 11|8 pages

Silent Harvest: Amos 8:1-14

chapter 12|10 pages

The Capital: Amos 9:1-6

chapter 13|8 pages

The Turning: Amos 9:7-15