{"product_id":"the-prophets-who-they-were-what-they-are","title":"The Prophets: Who They Were  What They Are","description":"\u003cp\u003eA radical reinterpretation of the biblical prophets by one of Americas most provocative critics reveals the eternal beauty of their language and the enduring resonance of their message. Long before Norman Podhoretz became one of the intellectual leaders of American neoconservatism  he was a student of Hebrew literature and a passionate reader of the prophets of the Old Testament. Returning to them after fifty years  he has produced something remarkable: an entirely new perspective on some of the worlds best-known works. Or  rather  three new perspectives. The first is a fascinating account of the golden age of biblical prophecy  from the eighth to the fifth century B.C.E.  and its roots in earlier ages of the ancient Israelite saga. Thus  like large parts of the Bible itself  The Prophets is a history of the Near East from the point of view of a single nation  covering not only what is known about the prophets themselves -- including Elijah  Amos  Isaiah  Jeremiah  and Ezekiel -- but also the stories of King David  King Saul  and how the ancient Israelites were affected by the great Near Eastern empires that surrounded them. Layered into this work of history is a piece of extraordinary literary criticism. Podhoretzs very close reading of the verse and imagery used by the biblical prophets restores them to the top reaches of the poetic pantheon  for these books contain  unequivocally  some of the greatest poetry ever written. The historical chronicle and the literary criticism will transport readers to a time that is both exotic and familiar and  like any fine work of history or literature  will evoke a distinct and original world. But the third perspective of The Prophets is that of moral philosophy  and it serves to bring the prophets message into the twenty-first century. For to Norman Podhoretz  the real relevance of the prophets today is more than the excitement of their history or the beauty of their poetry: it is their message. Podhoretz sees  in the words of the biblical prophets  a war being waged  a war against the sin of revering anything made by the hands of man -- in short  idolatry. In their relentless battle against idolatry  Podhoretz finds the prophets most meaningful and enduring message: a stern warning against the all-consuming worship of self that is at least as relevant in the twenty-first century as it was three thousand years ago. The Prophets will earn the respect of biblical scholars and the fascinated attention of general readers; its observations will be equally valued by believers and nonbelievers  by anyone with spiritual yearnings. Learned  provocative  and beautifully written  The Prophets is a deeply felt  deeply satisfying work that is at once history  literary criticism  and moral philosophy -- a tour de force.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44985186254901,"sku":"ByrdShop_0743219279","price":24.85,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780743219273.jpg?v=1770851065","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-prophets-who-they-were-what-they-are","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}