Prophet in Scarlet Letter
The Word Prophet originates from use in religion, however today’s literature uses prophet to describe a fortune teller or an omen. Prophet was first used in ancient Greece as a name for a spokesman of Greek gods such as Zeus, Apollo, and Poseidon. As religion develops throughout history, so does the meaning of the word. Pop Culture has added to prophet’s several definitions to include wizards and magical-like figures.
Almost every religious book contains a prophet. The first prophet in literature pertains to the Greek gods. It first appears in Classical Latin and means a divinely inspired interpreter of the will of God. The next religion and language to strongly use the word is Hebrew. The most common prophet in the Torah is Moses who receives commands from God who wants to send a message to the people on how to live their lives. Some of the other prophets include Abraham, Sarah, and Isaiah. Christianity adopted the word from Jewish beliefs to mean someone who speaks in the name of God. Christians viewed prophets not as holy figures, but like other humans who are sometimes fallible. The central prophet in the Bible is Jesus who comes to Earth and teaches followers messages from God. Islam has similar religious figures called prophets whom are on earth because they are assigned a mission by Allah. There are five main prophets in Muslim religion: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that they are all prophets and are the only true channel from God to mankind on Earth. The definition and impact of Prophets vary in religion throughout time, but almost every religion contains a prophet who sends a message to its people.
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses a reference to a biblical figure which follows the religious definition of prophet. “The walls were hung round the tapestry, said to be from the Gobelin looms, and, at all events, representing the Scriptural story of David and Bathsheba, and Nathan the Prophet,...