i8 7 o] PROPHECY IN CRITICAL SCHOOLS 195 



not merely the symbol, it is yet plain that the relation of 

 Israel to this God, was conceived by him in such a sense 

 as to give a strong impulse to national monotheism. 



Of the monotheistic party, Samuel became the leader. 

 By his national and religious zeal, the danger of an 

 absorption of Jahvism in the Canaanite religions was for 

 ever set aside ; but this success was accomplished, not by 

 following in the steps of the Nazarites, but by the assimila 

 tion of a Canaanite element. In the prophetic ecstasy, 

 Samuel saw an instrument worthy of adoption by his party. 

 He enlisted this peculiar enthusiasm in the service of 

 Jahveh, and he did so with enormous effect. A school of 

 prophets was formed at Ramah, in which, by the use of 

 music and by a sort of psychical infection, the ecstatic state 

 was rendered chronic. But in this school Samuel ruled all. 



;&amp;lt; The enthusiasm which, left to itself, might easily 

 have led to all manner of excesses, was confined within 

 definite bounds, and made serviceable to the maintenance 

 of Jahvism. The seer accustomed to practical efforts, 

 the statesman whose eye was opened to the great neces 

 sities of his nation, laid his hand, as it were, on the 

 awakened enthusiasm, and forced it to co-operate towards 

 the mark at which he aimed.&quot; l 



From this time prophecy and the prophetic schools had 

 an acknowledged place in Israel ; but towards the age of 

 Amos they had lost much of their vigour and influence. 

 Their original enthusiasm had worked itself out and gave 

 place to artificial stimulation. Then it was that a new 

 kind of prophecy arose, not formed in the prophetic 

 schools, but drawing its inspiration &quot;from the same source 

 from which these societies had originally sprung, from the 

 enthusiasm that appeared among the people without 

 artificial stimulation, as the fruit of their religion.&quot; 

 Prophets like Amos and his successors appeared as 

 ambassadors of Jahveh, without special preparation, just 

 because they heard within them His call to the prophetic 

 life. 



1 Godsdienst, p. 192. 



