Includes bibliographical references and index.

Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Introduction --  1 The Social and Political Landscape of Prophecy --  2 Prophecy at Mari and the Intermediary between Prophets and Kings --  3 Biblical Narratives about Prophecy for Kings --  4 Biblical and Near Eastern Prophecy in Social Context --  5 The Plan of This Book -- Part 1 The Politics of Mediation in the Mari Epistolary Corpus -- 1 Reporting Prophecy to the King from Afar --  1 Introduction --  2 A Fractured Network: Rejection of the Intermediary in ARM 26 194 and ARM 26 414 --  3 Delineating Two Categories of Intermediaries: wardū rabûtum and wēdûtum -- 2 Mediation in the Mari District and the Role of Royal Women --  1 Introduction --  2 Mediation by Elite Women of the Mari Palace --  3 From Queen Mother to Royal Spouse: Addu-duri and Šibtu --  4 Priestess Inib-šina and the Storm God, Addu --  5 The House of Sammetar and the Downfall of Mari --  6 Epilogue: Shifting the Paradigm of Prophecy -- Part 2 The Mediation of Biblical Prophecy -- 3 Mediation between Prophets and Kings in 1 Kings 11–2 Kings 20 --  1 Introduction --  2 1 Kings 14 and Jeroboam’s Wife --  3 Royal Injury or Illness --  4 Injury to a Royal Official or Member of the Elite --  5 The Role of Individual Intermediaries in a Monarchy -- 4 At the Nexus of Power: Royal Intermediary Groups in 2 Kings 19 and 2 Kings 22 --  1 Introduction --  2 Royal Delegations in the Hebrew Bible --  3 Hezekiah and Isaiah in 2 Kings 19 --  4 Josiah and Huldah in 2 Kings 22 --  5 Between King and Prophet -- 5 Episodes of Mediation in the Prophetic Books --  1 Introduction to the Prophetic Books --  2 Amos 7 and the Encounter with Amaziah, Priest of Bethel --  3 Navigating between Prophet and Baruch, the Scribe, in Jeremiah 36 --  4 Open Access to King Ahaz of Judah in Isaiah 7 --  5 Epilogue: Reconsidering the Communication of Prophecy -- Conclusion: Reevaluating Mediation and Mediated Prophecy -- Bibliography -- Index.

In Prophet, Intermediary, King: The Dynamics of Mediation in the Biblical World and Old Babylonian Mari , Julie B. Deluty investigates the mediation of prophecy for kings in biblical narratives and the Old Babylonian corpus from Mari. In many cases, the prophet’s message is delivered through a third party—sometimes a royal official or family member—who may exercise a degree of autonomy in the transmission of the words. Drawing on social network theory, the book highlights the importance of third-party intermediaries in the process of communication that lies at the core of biblical and ancient Near Eastern prophecy. Recognition of the place of non-prophetic intermediaries in a monarchic system offers a new dimension to the study of prophecy in antiquity.

English

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