Anyone who has read an account of the mystery men among savages, will
have the clue to the original nature and functions of the inspired
prophets of Jahveh. These persons occupied a rôle somewhat similar to
that of Brian the hermit, the highland seer described by Sir Walter
Scott in his "Lady of the Lake." They were a sort of cross between the
bard and the fortuneteller. Divination, though forbidden by the law of
Moses, was continually resorted to by the superstitious Jews.
The mysterious Urim and Thummim clearly represented some method of
divination. In 1 Kings vi. 16 and Psalms xxviii. 2, the adytum of the
temple is called the "oracle." Numerous references are to be found in
the Bible to the practice of casting lots, the disposing of which is
said to be "of the Lord" (see Num. xxvi. 55, Joshua xiii. 6, 1 Sam. xiv.
41, Prov. xiv. 33, xviii. 18, and Esther iii. 7), and also to "inquiring
of God," which was equivalent to divination. Thus in Judges xviii. 5
five Danites ask the Levite, who became Micah's priest, to "ask counsel
of God" whether they shall prosper on their way.
The ninth chapter of the first book of Samuel gives an instructive
glimpse into the nature of the prophets. Saul, sent to recover his
father's asses, and, unable to find them, is told by his servant that
there is in the city a man of God, and all what he saith cometh surely
to pass. Saul, perhaps guessing the lucre-loving propensities of men of
God, complains that he has no present to offer. The servant, however,
had the fourth part of a shekel of silver (about 8d.) wherewith to cross
the seer's palms; and Saul, seeking for asses, is made king over Israel
by the prophet Samuel. The custom of making a present to the prophet is
also alluded to in 1 Kings xiv. 3. Jereboam, when his son falls sick,
sends his wife to Ahijah the prophet with ten loaves and cracknels and a
cruse of honey, to inquire his fate. Later on, Micah (iii. 11) complains
that "the prophets divine for money." See also Nehe-miah vi. 12. As with
the oracles of ancient Greece and Rome (the inspiration of which was
believed by the early Christian fathers, with the proviso that they were
inspired not by deities, but by devils), the prophets were especially
consulted in times of war. Thus, in 1 Kings xxii., Ahab consults 400
prophets about going to battle against Ramoth-Gilead. He is told to go
and prosper, for the Lord shall deliver it into the king's hand. Micaiah
the prophet, however, explains that he had seen the Lord in counsel with
all the host of heaven, and the Lord sent a lying spirit to the prophets
in order to persuade Ahab to go to his destruction. This is quite in
accordance with the declaration in Ezekiel xiv. 9, that "if the prophet
be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord hath deceived that
prophet." David on one occasion (1 Sam. xxiii. 9) "took counsel of God,"
as this divination was called, by means of the ephod, probably connected
with the Urim and Thummim. He sought to know if he would be safe from
his enemy, Saul, if he stayed at Keilah. On receiving an unfavorable
response David decamped. Inquiring of the Lord on another occasion,
David got more particular instructions than were usually imparted by
oracles. He was told not to go up against the Philistines, but to fetch
a compass behind them and come on them over against the mulberry trees
(2 Sam. v. 23).
We read, 1 Sam. xxviii. 6, that "when Saul inquired of the Lord, the
Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets."
This, presumably, was because (verse 3) "Saul had put away those that
had familiar spirits, and the wizards out of the land." He therefore had
to seek out the witch of Endor to raise the spirit of Samuel.
The Lord is said to have declared through Moses, "If there be a prophet
among you I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and
will speak unto him in a dream" (Num. xii. 6). This method of divine
revelation is alluded to in Job xxxiii. 14-16, "For God speaketh once,
yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the
night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth his instruction." God came
to Abimelech in a dream by night and threatened him for taking Abraham's
wife (Gen. xx. 3). So he revealed himself and his angels to his favorite
Jacob (Gen. xxviii. 12). "God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream
by night" (Gen. xxxi. 24) to warn him against touching juggling Jacob.
Joseph dreams of his own future advancement and of the famine in Egypt,
and interprets the dreams of others. Gideon was visited by the Lord in
the night, and encouraged by some other person's dream (Judges vii.)
Jahveh appeared also to his servant, Sultan Solomon, "in a dream
by night" (1 Kings iii. 5). Daniel, too, was a dreamer and dream
interpreter (Dan. ii. 19, vii. 1). God promises through Joel that he
will pour his spirit upon all flesh, "and your sons and your daughters
shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall
see visions" (chap. ii. 28).
The original meaning of the Hebrew word _cohen_ or priest is said to be
"diviner." It is, I believe, still so in Arabic. Prophets and dreamers
are frequently classed together in the Bible, as in Deut. xiii. 1: "If
there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams." Jer. xxvii. 9:
"Therefore hearken ye not to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to
your dreamers." Zech. x. 2: "The diviners have seen a lie, and have told
false dreams." When religion is organised the dreamers and interpreters
of dreams, who are an irresponsible class, fall into the background
before the priests.
No one can read the account of Balaam's falling, and lying prostrate
with his eyes open while prophesying (Numbers xxiv.); and of Saul when,
after an evil spirit from God had come upon him (1 Sam. xviii. 10), "he
stripped off his clothes also and prophesied in like manner, and lay
down naked all that day and all that night; wherefore they say, Is Saul
also among the prophets" (1 Sam. xix. 24), without calling to mind
the exhibitions of ecstatic mania among semi-savages. The Shamans
of Siberia, for instance, work themselves up into fury, supposing or
pretending that in this condition they are inspired by the spirit in
whose name they speak, and through whose inspiration they are enabled
to answer questions as well as to foretell the future. The root of the
Hebrew word for prophet--_Nabi_, said to mean a bubbling up--confirms
this view. The vehement gestures and gushing current of speech which
accompanied their improvisations suggested a fountain bubbling up.
Insanity and inspiration are closely allied. Various methods were
resorted to among the ancients to attain the state of ecstacy, when the
excited nerves found significance in all around. The Brahmans used the
intoxicating Soma. At Delphi the Pythia inhaled an incense until she
fell into a state of delirious intoxication; and the sounds she uttered
in this state were believed to contain the revelations of Apollo. In
David dancing with all his might and scantily clad before the ark of
Jahveh, we are forcibly reminded of the dervishes and other religious
dancers. From the mention of music in connection with prophesying (1
Sam. x. 5, xvi. 23, 2 Kings iii. 5), it has been conjectured the Jewish
prophets anticipated the Salvationists in this means of producing or
relieving excitement. In the Mysteries of Isis, in Orphic Cory-bantian
revels, music was employed to work the worshippers into a state of
orgiastic frenzy.
The passage about Saul suggests the nudity or scanty costume of the
prophets. Isaiah the elder--for the poet who wrote from chap. xl. to
lxvi. must be distinguished from his predecessor--alleges a commandment
from Jahveh to walk naked and barefoot for three years (Isaiah xx. 3).
Apollos, or whoever wrote the epistle to the Hebrews (xi. 37), speaks
of them wandering about in sheepskins and goatskins. A girdle of leather
seems to have been the sole costume of Elijah (2 Kings i. 8). Micah (i.
8) says "I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked." Zechariah
speaks of the prophets who "wear a rough garment to deceive," and "say
I am no prophet I am an husbandman" (Zech. xiii. 45), which is like what
Amos (vii. 14) says: "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son;
but I was an herdman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit."
Isaiah (xxviii. 7) says, "the priest and the prophet have erred through
strong drink; they are swallowed up of wine." Jahveh tells Jeremiah
"The prophets prophesy lies in my name, I sent them not, neither have I
commanded them, neither spake unto them; they prophesy unto you a false
vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their
heart" (xiv. 14). Further on he says, "O Lord thou hast deceived me and
I was deceived" (xx. 7). The prophets of Jerusalem, Jeremiah declares,
"commit adultery and walk in lies" (xxiii. 14). Ezekiel too, prophesies
against the prophets and their lying divination (xiii. 2-7). Hosea (ix.
7) says, "the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad."*
* See too Isaiah lvi. 11-12; Jer. xxvii. 10-15, xxix. 8-9;
Micah iii 5-7.
Some of the prophets can only be described as silly. Such are the two
in 1 Kings xiii. 5 the prophet who asks to be smitten (1 Kings xii.);
Zedekiah, who makes himself horns of iron; and Micaiah, who opposes him
when a lying sprit comes from the Lord (1 Kings xxii.) To these may be
added the man of God (2 Chron. xxv. 7), who made Amaziah dismiss his
"hundred thousand mighty men of valor," who in consequence fell upon the
cities of Judah and took much spoil.
The student of comparative religion in reading of the Hebrew prophets,
is forcibly reminded of the Hindu sunnyasis and Mussulman fakirs. In the
east insanity is confounded with inspiration, and Dr. Maudsley, in his
_Responsibility in Mental Disease_, has given his opinion that several
of the Hebrew prophets were insane. The dread and respect in which they
were held is evinced in the legend of the forty-two children who
were slain by bears for calling Elisha bald-head. Their arrogance and
ferocity were exhibited by Samuel, who made Saul king till he found a
more serviceable tool in David, and "hewed Agag in pieces before the
Lord" (1 Sam. xv. 30); and by Elijah, who destroyed 102 men for obeying
the order of their king (2 Kings ii. 9-13), and at another time slew
850 for a difference of opinion (1 Kings xviii. 19--40). Elisha was
unscrupulous enough to send Hazael to his master saying he should
certainly recover; though at the time he knew he would certainly die (2
Kings viii. 10). Judging by such examples we may congratulate ourselves
that the race of prophets is almost extinct.
It must in fairness be said that some of the prophets used their
influence in protecting the people against their priests and rulers, and
that the greater prophets like Isaiah did much to elevate the religion
of Israel, which in its modern form is largely their creation.