I. The messenger in the ancient near east -- A. Purpose -- B. The messenger -- 1. Sumer -- 2. Babylonia -- 3. Assyria -- 4. Hatti -- 5. Ugarit -- 6. Egypt -- a. Historical texts -- b. historico-romantic -- c. fiction -- d. wisdom -- e. love-song -- f. funerary and tomb -- 7. Analytic summary -- II. The message in the ancient near east -- 1. Mari -- 2. Mesopotamia -- a. Babylonian -- b. Assyrian -- 3. Hatti -- 4. Ugarit -- 5. Palestine -- a. Arad -- b. Lachish -- c. Mesad Hashavyahu -- d. Samaria -- 6. Egypt -- a. Tell el-Armana -- b. Aramaic papyri -- c. Egyptian papyri -- d. Inscriptions -- 7. Analytical summary -- III. The messenger and message in the Hebrew scriptures: a taxonomic study of the biblical evidence -- A. Purpose -- B. The messenger and message -- 1. m l'k (characteristics of the messenger and message) -- 1) Complete and incomplete; incomplete messenger activity: the broken and full messages -- 2) 1 Samuel 25:1-13: an example of complete messenger activity -- 3) The message to one of equal standing -- 4) Official speech between superior and subordinate: the commissioning of a messenger -- 5) A prophet's messenger and a message which overthrows a dynasty: the use of the imperative -- 6) The messenger formula -- 7) The purpose of the message -- a) The message to a subordinate -- b) passages through territories: the message to affect passage -- c) Spies and spy activity -- The messenger as spy -- The commissioning of a spy: establishing a messenger network -- David's envoys to Ammon -- Reconnaissance -- messengers -- d) Military matters -- Message to Goad another into battle -- The message of threat -- The message of muster -- A combined message of threat and muster -- The message of military strategy -- The first message of battle progress -- A second message of battle progress -- A parable-message to the king of Judah -- The message requesting to be rescued -- Envoys with a message to avert warfare -- e) The messenger as errand-person -- f) Assassination -- The errand to affect revenge through assassination. David and Bathsheba: a dilemma and message of instructions to assassinate -- A messenger is sent to assassinate a prophet -- g) Political matters -- The message of overture -- Messengers opening diplomatic relations with David -- Establishing an embassy: the opening of diplomatic relations -- Envoys from Babylon -- The letter-message to Jehu -- Nehemiah: Messages between Nehemiah and his enemies -- h) Conspiratorial matters -- The message of conspiracy -- Messengers of disobedience -- The letter-message to defame Naboth -- i) Additions: the message and beyond -- a messenger speaks on his own initiative -- A messenger elaborates further upon delivery of a message -- j) Family affairs -- The message of a long-lost son to his father -- The message designed to affect forgiveness -- Message-request for an audience with the king -- k) Courtship: the message of suit -- l) healing -- The message requesting a cure -- The message of instructions to affect the cure of leprosy -- m) Business: the response to a message: an invitation to trade -- n) Real estate: the message of justification of land occupation -- o) Commodities: the message to get rid of unwanted goods -- p) A nagid and his successor: Saul's messages concerning David -- 2. 'b d -- 3. rkb, rkb ss, rkb hss, rkb ssym -- 4. hmgyd -- 5. hmrglym -- a) Military matters: Joshua sends spies to Jericho -- b) Conspiratorial matters: message to overthrow king -- 6. Obscure and debated expressions which signal the presence of messengers -- a) ml'kyk -- b) md' -- c) nssr -- d) mazkir -- e) Miscellaneous envoys -- f) Summary -- 7. Analytical summary -- Summary of part I -- Part II: "kh 'mr yhwh:" The evidence for the great individual prophet as messenger -- Introductory: the great individual prophet of the Hebrew scriptures as messenger: some necessary, preliminary considerations -- Chapter IV: the historical prophet of the Hebrew scriptures as a messenger: origin, development and decline: an inductive study -- Chapter V: the 'commissioning formula, ' the 'messenger formula, ' and 'messenger speech' in the prophetic books of the Hebrew scriptures. Chapter VI: The Ane messages, messages contained within the Hebrew scriptures, the proclamations and announcements of the herald, and the prophetic sayings of the great individual prophets: a comparison and contrast -- Chapter VII: The Ane messengers, the messenger of the Hebrew scriptures, and the great individual prophet of the Hebrew scriptures: a comparison and contrast -- Conclusion -- Notes to the chapters -- Appendices.