Hoshea and Amos: The Strained Bonds of Divine Love
(Monday) The geopolitical and religious developments in the shadow of the threat of Assyrian conquest in the middle of the 8th century BCE spurred an unprecedented literary output from Judean prophets which led to four books of Tanakh: Yeshayahu, Micha, Amos and Hoshea. This course will survey the period and the role of prophets against the background of geopolitical events of the era. Along with a general overview of the rhetoric of the nevi'im, we will study the prophecies of Hoshea and Amos, identifying their audiences and the temporal, as well as timeless, messages that their prophecies impart. Last year we finished our examination of Amos, and this year we will cover the entire book of Hoshea.