The Prophets from Balaam to Elisha with Eileen Maddocks and Peter Terry

“The Holy Bible Unveiled: Balaam to Daniel: Sound the Trumpet! Part I” to be presented by Eileen Maddocks and Peter Terry, with discuss Baha’i-inspired perspectives on the prophets of God who followed Moses, beginning with Balaam (Book of Numbers).  This course plan will not cover the three “major prophets”, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, because they will be discussed in Part II; nor will it cover the twelve “minor prophets” because they will be discussed in Part III.

“The prophets to the Israelites that will be discussed, listed by the famous Jewish authority cited by the rabbinical tradition of Judaism, known as Rashi in his Commentary on Tractate Megillah 14a of the Talmud,  will include the following:

1. Joshua – Central figure in the Book of Joshua
2. Phinehas – Biblical priest and prophet who opposed the heresy of Peor
3. Eli – High priest of Shiloh in ancient Israel
4. Elkanah – Husband of Hannah and father of Samuel in the Books of Samuel
5. Samuel – Biblical prophet and seer
6. Gad – Seer or prophet mentioned in the Hebrew Bible
7. Natan – Person in the Hebrew Bible
8. David – Biblical figure and Israelite monarch
9. Ahijah the Shilonite – Biblical prophet
10. Solomon – Biblical monarch of ancient Israel
11. Iddo – Minor biblical prophet
12. Jehu – Biblical prophet and son of Hanani
13. Azariah – Biblical prophet credited with persuading King Asa of Judah to carry out reforms
14. Jahaziel – Prophet in the Hebrew Bible
15. Eliezer – Name shared by multiple Biblical figures
16. Elijah – Biblical prophet
17. Elisha – Prophet and wonder-worker in the Hebrew Bible
18. Micaiah – Biblical prophet, disciple of Elijah
19. Amoz – Father of Isaiah
20. Urijah – Biblical prophet, son of Shemaiah
21. Daniel – Protagonist of the Book of Daniel of the Hebrew Bible -- One of the seven prophets who prophesied in the 2nd year of Darius (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 15a)

“Six prophets to the Gentiles are listed (Balaam, Beor, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu) in the Talmud, Bava Batra 15b, and seven prophetesses to the Israelites are listed (Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Huldah, Abigail, and Esther), in Talmud, the Megilla 14a.

“Many more prophets, such as those in the time of Elijah, are reported to have existed but their names have not been preserved in scripture or other texts, and so they will not be mentioned except in the context of the struggle between the prophets of God and the prophets of Baal.”

Eileen Maddocks is an independent scholar who wrote and self-published her first book, 1844: Convergence in Prophecy for Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Bahá’í Faith, which explored expectations in the West of the return of Jesus Christ and in the East of the return of the Twelfth Imam, the Promised One. Out of this Islamic milieu emerged the Twin Prophets of the Bahá’í Faith, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, as promised in the sacred scriptures of the Hebrew Bible, as Christianity had emerged from a Jewish milieu. Thereafter three volumes collectively entitled The Coming of the Glory have been published by Something or Other Publishing, with Volume 1 exploring prophecies found in the Pentateuch, Volume 2 covering the pre-exilic prophets and Volume 3 the post-exilic prophets, all within the context of ancient Israelite history. 

Eileen is a frequent contributor to the Explorations series of zoom presentations hosted by the Baha’is of Clearwater, Florida at: https://www.clearwaterbahais.org/online-classes.  Her talks can be found on their youtube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/ClearwaterBahais.

Peter Terry is an independent scholar who taught courses on the Torah, Neviim and Ketuvim and the history of Judaism for the Wilmette Institute, and has written papers on topics related to Biblical interpretation, available online at academia.edu and bahai-library.org.  Most of his published works are related to the Baha’i Faith, and can be found on amazon.com by searching for his name.  

Peter is also a frequent contributor to the Explorations series of zoom presentations hosted by the Baha’is of Clearwater, Florida at: https://www.clearwaterbahais.org/online-classes.  His talks can be found on their youtube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/ClearwaterBahais.

- 6:00-7:00 PM - Dinner, orientation

- 7:00-9:00 PM - First Session (seven prophetesses)

- 6:30 - 7:00 AM - Prayer and meditation at sunrise

- 7:00 - 9:00 AM - Breakfast

- 9:00 - 1:00 PM - Second Session with 15 minute break @ 11:00 (six prophets to the Gentiles; then Joshua through Eli) 

- 1:00 - 2:30 PM - Lunch and relaxation

- 2:30 - 5:30 PM - Third Session with(15 minute break @ 4:00 (Elkanah through Natan)

- 6:00-7:00 PM - Dinner

- 7:00 - 9:00 PM - Fourth Session (Iddo through Eliezer)

- 7:00 - 9:00 AM - Breakfast

- 9:00 - 1:00 PM - Fifth Session with 15 minute break @ 11:00 (David and Solomon)

- 1:00 - 2:30 PM - Lunch and relaxation

- 2:30 - 5:30 PM - Sixth Session with 15 minute break @ 4:00 (Elijah and Elisha)

- 6:00 - 7:00 PM - Dinner

- 7:00 - 9:00 PM - Fellowship 

* Early Departure can be arranged after lunch or after dinner

- 6:30 - 7:00 AM - Prayer and meditation at sunrise

- 7:00 - 9:00 AM - Breakfast

- 9:00 - 11:30 AM - Departure

Our winter and spring retreats at Desert Rose focus on the in-depth study of core spiritual literature and historical texts. Set in the serene desert environment of Arizona, we enjoy a perfect winter retreat environment. These programs provide a perfect opportunity for reflection, learning, and community engagement.

Attendees are required to register in advance, with fees covering all sessions, meals, and materials. Specific prerequisites for participation and a list of materials to be studied will be provided upon registration.

Registration includes accommodations in our dormitory. If you would prefer an apartment, these can be booked separately using the link . Apartments fill up quickly and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so book quickly.

If apartments are full and you prefer not to stay in the dormitory, here is a list of nearby hotels.

Alternatively, we have boondocking-style RV parking for guests and volunteers at $12/day. These have no power or hookups, just a water and dump station.

Transportation:

DRBI does not yet own a shuttle van but numerous shuttle and Uber options exist from the Phoenix airport only 45 minutes away.

Donations:

Support for our programs is greatly appreciated, and additional donations can be made to help us continue offering these enriching experiences.

Host or Publisher Desert Rose Baha'i Institute & Firm-Foundation Academy