The origin of the prophets, in the meaning we have unfolded, is to be referred to the end of the period of the Judges, or to the time of Samuel (comp. Acts iii, 24), who was himself a prophet (1 Sam. iii, 20), and may be considered as having founded the order by establishing schools of prophets (comp. esp. xix, 24), and to have pointed out its relations to the theocracy. Tholuck {Literal: Anzeiger, 1831, i, 88), indeed, makes these schools of the prophets to be merely a union of heljiers of the prophets in their arduous office, such as Baruch was, who, besides the study of the law, busied themselves with sacred music; but this lacks support. PropViecy, indeed, could not be taught; and, no doubt, many of the scholars never received the inner prophetic call. But this is true now in our theological schools, yet we do not, on this account, consider them mere institutions for educating clerks, etc. Moses, in the wilderness, had given instances, in his own person, of every kind of pro- phetic duty; but afterwards, when the great labor to be done was the establishment of the theocratic nation in Palestine, and the spirit of Jehovah raised up warriors (the S/iop/ifim, or Judges), there was little need of sacred oratory (Judg. iv, 4 sq. ; vi, 8 sq.; 1 Sam. ii, 27 sq.), and the people saw in their prophets simply wise men, sooth- sayers (hence the older name riieh of prophets, which is applied even to Samuel [1 Chron. ix, 22; xxix, 29, etc.], though he is called also nabi [1 Sam. iii, 20]), a view which prevailed up to Samuel's time (ix, 8 s(].), while even later the prophets were chiefly sought by tlie people as wonderful physicians and miracle-work- ers. It is clear that Samuel by no means first founded prophecy among the Hebrews, as, indeed, such a spirit- ual movement cannot be voluntarily inaugurated among a people ; but that he was led on by the establishment of royalty to impart to the prophets his judicial relation (Judg. vi and 1 Sam.). On the schools of the prophets, see Vitringa, Syna;/. Vet. i, 2, 7; Buddei Hist. Keel. V, Test, ii, 276 sq. ; Mail Exercit. i, 645 sq. ; Werenfels, Diss, de Scholis Proph. (Basle, 1701) ; Kahl, De Proph. Srholl. ((ifitt. 1737); Hering, Abh. von den Schul. der Proph. (Bresl. 1777); Stiludlin, Gesch. der Sittenl. i, 203 sq. They existed in various cities, those often which had an ancient character for sanctity, especially Ramah (1 Sam. xix, 19, 20), Jericho (2 Kings ii, 5), at Bethel (ver. 3), at Gilgal (iv, 38), all in the central ])art of the Holy Land. The pupils, who were not all young or un- married men (ver. 1), lived together (vi, 1), sometimes in great numbers (ii, 16; comp. 1 Kings xviii, 4, 13), had common fare (2 Kings iv, 38 sq.),aiid provided together
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for their wants. As to the nature of the instruction, we have ni) particulars. Music and singing were certainly aniong the subjects taught (1 Sam. x,5; comp. Forkel, Gtsch. d. Mils, i, "238, 245, "248, 438 sq.) ; but, perhaps, more for the cultivation of noble sentiments, and for awakening inner feeling, than as an accompaniment to their exhor- tations. The cultivation of lyric poetry bj' them can- not be altogether denied, yet the extent of it has been exaggerated, and the history derives the flourishing of this kind of poetry from a royal minstrel (Nachtigal, in Henke's 3Iaff. vi, 38 sq. ; see contra Bengel, Siipjdem. ad Introd. ill Lib. Psalm. [Tiib. 1816] p. 5 sq. ; De Wette, Conim. lib. d. Psalm, p. 9 sq., 3d ed.). The chief subject of instruction was probably the law, not in its details in writing, but as a great wliole, a theocratic conception.; and the awakening and cidtivation of the true theocrat- ic spirit were the aim of all their labors. The pupils, when the impulse of the spirit came upon them, some- times made excursions, during which others, who came near them, were momentarily influenced in the same way (1 Sam. x, 5 sq. ; xix, 20 sq.) ; and some were em- ployed, it would seem as a trial of them, as messengers of the prophets (2 Kings ix, 1). The comparison of the schools of the prophets with monkish cloisters (Jerome, Ep. 105, ad Rustic. Manach. and 58 (td Paiiliii.) is wide of the mark (see Hering, loc. eit. 71 sq.) ; and if any parallel is to be sought for anything so peculiar, that with Pythagorean union (Tennemann, Gesch. de?- Phil. i, 94 sq.) will be found more appropriate. Moreover, it is not to be supposed that all the prophets, or that the most inHuential of those known to us, were educated in these schools. It was open to every man or woman who felt an inward call to this office to assume the du- ties of a prophet (Amos vii, 14); and the prophetic in- spiration often broke forth suddenly (2 Chron. xx, 14 sq.). There were also instances in which the calling of prophet seemed to be hereditary in one family (1 Kings xvi, 1 ; comp. Amos vii, 14 ; on Zech. i, 1, see Rosenmiil- ler, ad loc). Those who had been educated by older prophets seem usually to have been consecrated to their calling by anointing or the delivery of the prophet's mantle (1 Kings xix. 16 sq. ; comp. 2 Kings ii, 13 sq.) ; but it was the inner voice, or a vision, which directly impelled the prophets to step forward as such (Isa. vi : Jer. i, 2 ; Ezek. i). The cycle of prophetic activity was found, after the division, chiefly in the kingdom of Ju- dah, which, at least outwardly, had remained true to the theocratic constitution, the temple, the priesthood of Je- hovah, the dynasty of David ; and even after the over- throw of this kingdom, and in exile, there were influen- tial prophets among the Jews. But in the kingdom of Israel (Eichhorn, in his Biblioth. d. Bibl. Lit. iv, 193 sq.), whose establishment the prophets had aided, or, at least, not hindered (1 Kings xi, 29 sq.), their influence was interrupted and more of a negative character. In the changes of dynasties they not rarely took some part (xiv, 14 sq. ; xvi, 1 sq. ; xxi, 17 sq.; 2 Kings ix, 1 sq.), in which thej' were actuated by religious views. It cannot be doubted that the activity of the prophets, in that long period, was one of the utmost value to the pectple; the spirit of the theocratic life was continually refreshed by them, and no other people of that age, or of modern times, has had anything comparable to them (comp. Eichhorn, preface to his 4th vol. Einleit. iiis A. T.). In this point of view, such laments as Psa. Ixxiv, 9 ; Lam. ii, 9, And their full justification.