ABSTRACT
In the case of both the Muslim Prophet and the Hebrew Judges their rhetorical skills—seen, of course, as divinely inspired—were important components of their military effectiveness, indicative of their inspiration. Muhammad was a consummate poet and the Judges, likewise, are portrayed as highly effective speakers as well as warriors. The activity of the historical Judges and the roots of Biblical Prophecy would be considerably older than the Deuteronomist’s revisions. A hugely important development in religious behavior occurred around the era of Biblical prophecy. In person, the Hebrew prophets can be seen as artists: religious street-theater performers who communicated “the will of the divine,” interpreted as visionary artists whose performances express a perception of the intentional state of the unseen agency that determines the outcomes of human behavior and thus empower that agency. The Hebrew was certainly an oppressed, minority, immigrant community, threatened by cultural assimilation.
