Praying Prophets: Scribal Identities in the Creation of Prophetic Literature

In the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible, there are several instances of inserted prayer compositions. In the process of copying and editing prophetic writings, scribes drew from available prayer writings beyond what is found in the current book of Psalms. These prayer texts found in the prophets are not just transcriptions of oral prayers but are reflective of an interest by scribes in copying written prayer in ways related to practical religion and scribal creativity. I will focus on prayers from Nahum 1, Jonah 2, Habakkuk 3; echoes of anti-witchcraft recitations in Micah 7; and the lack of prayer in Ezekiel.