The first reminder from two years ago was the impact of the political tactics of the usurper Tiglath-Pileser on Israel's prophetic literature.

Beginning in the eighth century BCE, per Karl Jasper, thinkers across Asia and Europe arrived independently to the same axial crossover: a turn from corporate thinking to a concern for the individual. The teachings of Confucius, Buddha, Zoroaster and the contemporary Hebrew prophets (Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea) reflect this shift.

Prior, the Hebrew prophet addressed God's word to the king alone who was responsible to God and to the people. Because the message was specifically tailored to the king's circumstances, few of these oracles have survived. We know the names of these prophets and their prophetic careers are chronicled but we have no "Book of Nathan" , no "Book of Elijah". The absence of universal application resulted in their legacy not being fully preserved.

Tiglath-Pileser held individual citizens responsible for rebellion. Amos imitates his method: the God of Israel holds individual people accountable. And because Amos' words speak to all, not just to the king, his writings and others in the same vein have been preserved.

Fr. Boadt was careful to point out that the influence of Tiglath-Pileser on Hebrew prophecy, the axial crossover and the preservation of the prophetic texts were divinely inspired historical developments, to be sure.