THE JEWISH PROPHET: Visionary Words from Moses and Miriam to Henrietta Szold and A.J. Heschel

A London-based rabbi, Shire is vice-principal of the Leo Baeck College and Center for Jewish Education. In this beautifully illustrated book, he selects 30 individuals who meet his criteria for being called "prophets," which he defines as "men and women who believed they were called to a special task in speaking God's word, and who served as the moral and spiritual leaders of their time." This differs from the conventional perception of a prophet as one who foresees the future, but it is consistent with the 21 books of the Bible that deal with prophets and use the Hebrew word for prophet, navi, meaning "spokesperson for God." For the first of his three categories of prophets, "In the Beginning," Shire adds Moses, Miriam, Hillel, Yohanan ben Zakkai and Akiva to the list of more familiar prophets such Samuel, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah and Jeremiah. His second category is called "From Generation to Generation," and Shire concludes with "Even in Our Own Time." This last section starts with Theodor Herzl and ends with Abraham Joshua Heschel. Most of the individuals designated by Shire are well-known, but he also includes less familiar names such as Lily Montagu and Hannah Werbermacher. The effort to expand the meaning of "prophet" may cause some raised eyebrows, but Shire builds a strong case for including people who are not in the Bible. Uniform treatment is accorded to each of Shire's "prophets," consisting of quotes, a brief biography and, in many instances, appropriate color illustrations taken from illuminated manuscripts in the British Museum. (Apr.)