A man named Muhammad who was born in Arabia ca. 570 is said to have received a series of communications from God over a period of twenty-three years between 610 and 632. These communications were subsequently recorded in writing, collected, and redacted in the text known as the Quran. On one occasion, the Quran refers to Muhammad as “the seal of Prophets,” a phrase that is understood by Muslims as signifying that prophecy came to an end upon Muhammad’s death in 632. David Powers’ lecture shall attempt to situate this claim in the context of the history of prophecy in the Near East in Antiquity and Late Antiquity.
This lecture is part of the 2016 Adult Education Series, honoring Rabbi Scott Glass for his 40 years of service to Temple Beth-El.
