The details of how the prophecies Amos delivered to Israel at Bethel came to be recorded remain unknown. It is impossible to determine whether he dictated his revelations to a scribe or composed them himself, or whether they were written down sometime later.
The book of Amos has traditionally been assigned to the middle or latter years of the reign of Jeroboam II (c. 760 BC). More recent historical investigation and chronological calculations have pushed the date for the writing of Amos’s prophecies nearer 750–748 BC, just prior to the death of Jeroboam. This understanding is based on indications that the historical events alluded to in the book are reflections of a time when pro-Assyrian Israel was under assault by an anti-Assyrian coalition centered in Syro-Palestine. Amos ambiguously dated the words “he saw” (1:1) concerning Israel to the reigns of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam II of Israel. The reigns of both of these monarchs extended over a period of more than four decades. Politically and economically, both kings brought stability and prosperity to their respective kingdoms. Territorial borders were expanded through successful military conquest against foreign foes, Israel and Judah managed a peaceful coexistence and commercial enterprise and agricultural production burgeoned.
The reference to “the earthquake” (1:1) in the superscription provides little help in fixing the precise date of Amos’s prophecy. Archaeological discoveries at sites like Samaria and Hazor attest such destruction by earthquake, and Zechariah’s mention of the natural disaster (Zec 14:5) indicates that the tremor was long remembered in Israel. Yet attempts to pinpoint the year in which the quake occurred are highly speculative. Consequently, the time of Amos’s prophetic activity is best assigned to the general time period ranging from 760–750 BC. ◆
Key Concepts
• Loving God and being compassionate and merciful to those around you are the values most desired by God.
• Israel is guilty of syncretism and injustice.
• The key theme of the prophets concerns whether the people will respond to God’s warnings and instructions.