Page 298 - Bible History

THE BAB ONIAN CAPTIVITY 271
The Bible contains the writings of only a few of the prophets. There were many others who had great in- uence with the people, like Samuel in the days of Saul, Nathan in the days of David, Elias in the reign of Achab, and Eliseus, his disciple.· From the very beginning, God sent these holy guides to reveal to His Chosen People His holy will.
The prophets whose writings have been preserved are divided into two classes : the major prophets and the minor prophets. The major prophets are those whose works take up a large part of the Bible. The writings of the minor prophets cover but a few pages each. The major prophets are: Isaias, who prophesied between 750 and 700 B.c., at the time that the Jews were conquered by the Assyrians; Jeremias, who prophesied between 630 and 580 B.c., when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians; Ezechiel, who
prophesied from 600 to 570 B.c., to the Jews in cap­ tivity; and Daniel, who prophesied between 600 and 540 B.c., also to the Jews in their captivity.
Very little is known about the prophet Isaias. Ac- cording to the tradition of the Jews, he belonged to the royal family, and his writings show that he was a very highly educated man. There is also a t adition according to which he su ered martyrdom at the hands of a wicked king.
He lived in the days before the Jews were taken away into captivity. The mighty nation of the Ass ­ ians was threatening ihem on one side and the Egyptians on the other. The Kingdoms of Israel and of Juda had fallen away from God and no longer
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