Theories of Prophecy in Jeremiah

Abstract In turning prophecy into a form of literature, the authors of ancient Israelite prophetic books repeatedly addressed the nature of prophecy itself. This preoccupation suggests that the phenomenon of prophecy was by no means a simple and known concept to the authors of this literature, but rather one in need of discursive construction. The authors of Jeremiah explored theories of prophecy from a variety of perspectives. While all the Jeremiah traditions assume a basic definition of prophecy as the mediation of a divine message through an intermediary, they also move beyond this conception in a number of ways. Though prophetic literature ostensibly presents disembodied prophecy, the authors of Jeremiah frequently direct their attention to the essentially embodied nature of prophecy. The prophet’s bodily experience, for these authors, cannot be separated from his capacity to transmit the divine message. Other parts of the Jeremiah tradition negotiate a history of prophecy in relation to Moses and Deuteronomy. For these texts, prophecy has to be understood as an unfolding history that begins but does not end with Deuteronomy. Finally, a distinct thread of tradition imagines Jeremiah’s words as carrying an almost magical efficacy. Rather than merely transmitting a message, Jeremiah’s speech has the effect of bringing about the divine judgment on Judah. In each case, the ancient authors navigate the innovative contours of prophetic literature by actively exploring the potencies of prophecy.