EIGHTH CENTURY BCE PROPHETS
The eighth century was characterized by rise apogee of the assyrian imperialistic power over the syro palestinian nations including israel and judah.A prophet is aperson who interprets the signs of the times to his or her contemporaries.God continues to reveal Himself in the total historical process through events or signs of the times and people who incarnate and speaks God’s word.The eighth century BCE prophecy is typical as it laid the foundation of te classical period of prophecy that started ith Amos.The eighth century prophets include:Amos,Hosea,Micah,Isiah. AMOS
Amos is among the twelve minor prophets and he was a judean who prophesied in the northern kingdom.He was a herdman,dresser of sycamores and also a sheep breeder.He ministered at Bethel in israel during the flourishing ana long reign of Jeroboam II around 760 BCE.For being a judean and not from the company of prophets he exercise his ministry not without persecution and opposition.Priest Amaziah of Bethel accused him of conspiracy and creating uphearl in the community.Eventually Amos was expelled from Bethel but not before predicting the death of Amaziah his family and te whole nation.Neverthless Amos spoke in the name of God who he encountered through a religious experience.Amos has been called the prophet of social justice.He witnessed the injustices against the poor and weak and warned his generation against the destructive consequences of the moral outrage:injustice ,consumerism,individualism,idolatry,overconfidence and indifference that the social economic and political prosperity was leading to.He witnessed as a shepherd the first hand experience of the simple peolple in Israel.Amos saw that the silence of God or absence of the word as one of the worst punishments. HOSEA
He was the son of Beeri.Hosea lived during the tragic and devastating final days of the northern kingdom