The prophet Jeremiah is among the most complex and intriguing characters in the Bible. This study of the prophet focuses on the major biographical episodes in the prophet’s book and their interpretation. An overview of prophecy and the prophets of the Hebrew Bible sets the backdrop for this fascinating character. Setting the historical background of the prophet, Avioz then explores Jeremiah’s prophetic call. The temple sermon is then parsed to provide insight into how it fits the outlook of the prophet. The resultant trial is considered along with an exploration of the aim of the narrative. Jeremiah’s famous complaints receive individual attention. Those with whom Jeremiah interacts, the kings of Judah and the false prophets, are assessed in contrast with the prophet. The fall of the kingdom of Judah and the tragic Gedaliah episode round out the historical material. Avioz concludes his study with a consideration of Jeremiah’s legacy down to the present day.

“This book calls attention to the high points of religious sensibility and rhetorical power in the Book of Jeremiah and invites engagement with a prophetic passion that bears all the marks of revelation. It is accessible and reliable, and will well serve a beginning reader.” Prof. Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary

“It is a work that guides the reader through the world of the prophet as much as it identifies the details of the world shaped within the book bearing his name and the world shaped by that book as well. Avioz has yielded an important volume that not only helps lay readers enter into an often hermetic and overwhelming universe, but one that also helps scholars within that universe recognize that it takes stars of great variety to create enduring and discernible constellations.” Prof. Mark Leuchter, Temple University