One Book or Twelve Books?

Abstract This essay explains debates about whether the Minor Prophets are twelve separate books or a unified collection. Throughout much of Jewish and Christian history, the twelve “books” of the Minor Prophets have been studied as discrete entities. Some ancient traditions treat the Minor Prophets or the Book of the Twelve as one literary unit, causing modern scholars to consider their unity. In the 1990s, scholars began to notice editorial activity and larger themes in the Minor Prophets, suggesting that the writings within should be read, heard, and studied as one large book. There is still merit in studying each individual book because each book offers unique material. There is also merit in studying the Book of the Twelve as a unity because each of the books helps to interpret the others in the collection.