The Seventy-Two Prophets and Prophetesses · §3 · Epiphanius of Salamis

The Sequence of Prophets

Click or tap any sentence to jump there. The side buttons skip a paragraph.

We have known a very small part of prophecy, or even a prophetic appearance; but regarding those who also prophesied somewhat more abundantly, some from Adam and others from the successive years, it seems necessary for me not to leave them behind after the sixty-third number, but to join them to the sequence of the recapitulation, such as these are: 44. Enos. 45. Mahalalel. 46. Jared. 47. Enoch. 48. Methuselah. 49. Lamech. 50. Balaam. 51. Saul. 52. Abimelech, who is also Achimelech. 53.

Greek

ἔγνωμεν μέρος ἐλάχιστον προφητείας ἔχοντας ἢ καὶ προφάσει προφητικῇ, τοὺς δὲ καὶ περιττότερόν τι προφητεύσαντας, τοὺς μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀδάμ, τοὺς δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν καθεξῆς χρόνων, οὓς δεῖν ᾠήθην μὴ παραλεῖψαι αὖθις μετὰ τὸν ξγʹ ἀριθμόν, ἀλλὰ συνάψαι τῇ τῆς ἀνακεφαλαιώσεως ἀκολουθίᾳ, οἷον καί εἰσιν οἷδε. ξδʹ. Ἐνώς. ξεʹ. Μαθουσάλα. ξ ʹ. Λάμεχ. ξζʹ. Βαλαάμ. ξηʹ. Σαούλ. 3 ξθʹ. Ἀβιμέλεχ ὁ καὶ Ἀχιμέλεχ. οʹ.

Report a mistake in this passage

About this text

Discover the surprising list of 72 prophets and prophetesses from ancient texts, including familiar and forgotten names.

Epiphanius of Salamis (c. 310/320–403) was bishop of Salamis, the chief city of Cyprus, and a vigorous defender of orthodox Christian teaching. He wrote this catalogue to give readers a complete numbered list of the prophets and prophetesses recognized in Scripture.

The work is a summary catalogue rather than a sustained argument. Epiphanius first lists sixty-three prophets, beginning with Adam and continuing through the Old Testament to John the Baptist. He then adds nine further figures who possessed a small portion of prophecy, bringing the total to seventy-two prophets. Finally he enumerates ten prophetesses separately, from Sarah to Mary the Mother of God.

A reader will meet many familiar biblical figures, from patriarchs such as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, through Moses, David, Solomon, Elijah, and Elisha, to the major and minor prophets. Some names are less familiar or uncertain, such as Idithun, Aeman, and Aetham, who appear to be temple singers, and Oziel, Eliad, Joad, Addo, Obed, Abdadon, and Amase, whose identities are unclear. The old man in Bethel may be the unnamed prophet of 1 Kings 13. The term prophet means a person through whom God speaks, and prophetess means a woman through whom God speaks. The author uses the old Greek names of Bible books, which are rendered here in their familiar English forms.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 41 – 43 (Greek)

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

Report a mistake