In this section, we will look at the teachings of those prophets who prophesied during the 8th century:  Amos, Jonah,  Hosea, Micah, Isaiah and Joel.  There were other "minor" prophets, but we will omit those with no significant racial teaching.  In chronological order, we can roughly date these prophets as follows:

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       800-750 BC --  Amos, Jonah
       750-700 BC --  Hosea, Micah, Isaiah
       ?                    --  Joel

      

Joel is a problem for scholars, in that he provides no historical reference points in his messages:  no kings, no enemies, no events are identified.  He has been dated anywhere from the 9th century to after the exile.

       

At this time, Israel and Judah were menaced first by Aram to the north and later by Assyria.  There were border wars with Edom, Moab and the Philistines, but these had been enemies for centuries.  Plus there was occasional conflict between the two kingdoms. This disorder formed the backdrop for the prophetic message of the 8th century.