This commentary interprets the book of Amos as handed down in the Hebrew Bible: as a collection
of the words of a prophet who emerges in the eighth century BCE and proclaims the end of the
kingdom of Israel due to the social and ritual transgressions of its upper class but in the
end announces a safe future in abundant prosperity for survivors of the catastrophe from Judah
and Israel. Diachronic analysis traces a path from the message of the eponymous prophet which
is recognizable only in outline through the adaptations made by the first transmitters of the
text following the end of the northern kingdom of Israel to the final figure who probably
dates from the Persian era. Texts witnessing to the reception of the book & from other Old
Testament writings to the present day & presented in highlights.
