Prophetic message and outbiblical prophetism

The subject under discussion in this article is about the relation and the influence o f diviiner-prophets o f the great religious in the Ancient Near East on the prophetism in the OT. The existence of texts from the second millenium B. C. by Israels’s neighbours, which tell of prophetic activity, is a fact. The relation of these texts to the Izrael is obvious. The phenomenon of »inspired« men by other peoples in the Ancient East is explained by having in common cultural and religious patrimony. But the possibility of the influence of this prophecy on the Israel’s prophetism is not as profound as might have been expected. The parallels and similaritys which may be found by a more attentive analysis are general and relative to the prehistory of Israel’s prophecy, namely to the premonarchic prophets, who under the influence of music experienced extatic trances and acted as the spontaneous, mouthpieces of Yahweh. However, in the sens of the classical prophetism, that is the great Israelite prophets, the conclusion is rather negative. The peculiarity of Israel’s prophets lies into nature of Israel’s existence — as a chosen people elected by Yahweh to be the mediators o f his salvation to the rest of the world. The prophet is one who is called and chosen by God to be his own instrument for the guidance of his chosen people. He is God’s mouth and intermediary. It involves choice to strove to keep the nation faithful to the true religion of Yahweh — monotheism. The motivation and sens of the prophetic ethic is consequently election and covenant