Sunday, 18 November 2018

According to the Jews over 4 million Prophets sent

The Talmud (Megillah 14a) says that there had been twice as many prophets as the number of people who left Egypt (2,600,000), but only those whose messages were for future generations were recorded. This count was 48 male and 7 female Prophets.

Of course, there is much debate about who is included in the list. Rashi (Megillah 3a) suggests that Daniel wasn't a prophet and should be replaced by Shemaia, who told Rehavam not to go to war with Yeravam and the northern kingdom. Rabbein Hananel and the Vilna Gaon start from Moshe and add in the sons of Korach.

Rashi also comments that "two [of the prophets] I don't know," refering to numbers 47 and 48. Another commentator says the missing two prophets are Oded and Hanani Haroeh. 

7 Female Prophets

1. Sarah
2. Miriam
3. Devorah
4. Hannah (mother of Shmuel)
5. Avigail (who became a wife of King David)
6. Huldah (from the time of Jeremiah)
7. Esther

46 Male Prophets

1. Abraham
2. Isaac
3. Jacob
4. Moses
5. Aaron
6. Joshua
7. Pinchas
8. Elkanah
9. Eli
10. Samuel
11. Gad
12. Nosson
15. Aidoin the Golah
16. Micha Ben Yamla
17. Ovadiah
18. Achiah Hashiloni
19. Yehu Ben Hanani
20. Azaryah Ben Oded
21. Haziel from Bnei Masni
22. Eliezer his cousin
23. Morishah
24. Hoshea
25. Amos
26. Micha
27. Elijah
28. Elisha
29. Yonah Ben Amitai
30. Yeshayah
31. Joel
32. Nachum
33. Habakuk
34. Zephaniah
35. Uriah
36. Jeremiah
37. Ezekiel
38. Daniel
39. Baruch
40. Neriah
41. Sharyah
42. Machsiyah
43. Hagai
44. Zechariah
45. Malachi
46. Mordechai

Sources: Blackman, Philip. Introduction to Tractate Sanhedrin of the Mishnah. New York: The Judaica Press, 1963; Dimont, Max. Jews, Jews, God and History. New York: The New American Library, 1962; Encyclopedia Judaica "Sanhedrin". Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, 1971; Kung, Hans. Judaism. New York: Crossroad, 1992; Seltzer, Robert M. Jewish People, Jewish Thought. New York: Macmillian Publishing Co, 1980.

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