The seer Amos and Politics: Neo-Assyrians and Aramaeans in the Political Framework of the Protests in Northern Israel in the 8th Century B.C.E.

ABSTRACT

The question of Amos’ peasant origin has shaped the debate about his role in economic exploitation by the ruling elites, leaving the disputes of institutional authorities in ancient Israel barely discussed in his book. The internal historical context shows the opening of borders and the fluidity of identities resulting from the Israeli diplomatic relations that began in the 9th century in the period of the Omride dynasty. On the one hand, this led to economic development in Samaria, the capital; on the other hand, it resulted in the impoverishment of productive social groups in the rural sector due to the high taxation of land and production. In the regional context, the beginning of the provincialization process in the south of the Levant, operated by the Neo-Assyrian empire, added to the border conflicts between North Israel (“Northern Kingdom”) and Aram-Damascus, which reflected in the economy and aggravated the Israeli political crisis. Put into perspective, the prophetic corpus projects a political worldview: the king’s decisions must contemplate the benefits to small producers and traders excluded from the large trade routes. Methodologically, we will carry out a comparative historiographical study, as we will analyze biblical and extra-biblical sources contemporary to the prophetic literary representations of the Book of Amos. Our study intends to conclude that Amos’ performance and what he represents historically are initially linked to this international political-economic situation.

KEYWORDS
Prophet Amos; Ancient Israel; Assyria; Political History; Cultural Memory