Politics · 26 · Prophet and Priest
Prophets who couldn't be bought
A king offers a prophet a meal and a gift; he replies, 'Even for half your kingdom, I won't come with you.' The seer Balaam likewise refuses a Moabite king's fees.
True prophets keep their distance from power.
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Royal courts showered prophets with gifts to keep them close and under watch. In the Bible, Elijah camps alone by a wadi, fed by ravens, while hundreds of Baal prophets eat at Ahab and Jezebel's table.
Bible reference: 1 Kings 13:8; 17; Numbers 22
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 411–412
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