In conclusion, we would like to say a few words about what thoughts are aroused by the remembrance of the Old Testament prophetic schools. Everything that concerns the Old Testament prophecy also concerns the Christian church hierarchy. The Old Testament prophecy, as it were, passed into the New Testament; in the life of the Church of the first centuries we find a New Testament parallel to Old Testament prophecy, these are charismatics - evangelists, prophets, teachers. In the early days of Christianity, these charismatics were higher than hierarchical persons - bishops. Hierarchical persons performed only administrative and liturgical functions. Inspired teaching belonged to charismatics. In the "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" it is said about hierarchical persons: do not despise them; for they are the most honorable among you, together with the prophets and teachers. But soon the cause of the charismatics began to move to hierarchy, and, finally, the charismatics, compromised by the Montanist prophets, completely gave way to hierarchy. The hierarchy also accepted the duties of charismatics. Consequently, the hierarchy of the Church, through the intermediary of charismatics, is in part the ideological heir of the prophets, and if this is so, then everything that relates to the prophetic schools also concerns the theological school. And the theological school can learn a lot from the prophetic schools. The theological school encloses within its walls persons who are completely alien to each other, striving in diametrically opposite directions. Religious education in them is reduced to a minimum; it is presented to those who wish. Whoever by some miracle remains faithful to God and the Church, only let him remain in the service of them. The school should accommodate only those who already have a clearly defined vocation in life, that is, it should be specifically pastoral. According to one highly "authoritative" project [50], the life of a school can be determined by its possible approximation to that of a monastery (6), and the school should educate good pastors of the Orthodox Church not only by teaching them the necessary knowledge, but also by going through the feats of Christian life and activity (1) [51]. In the same draft, the formal and official system is completely crossed out. The superior and his teachers do not constitute an educational corporation in the usual sense of the word, but a spiritual brotherhood united by strict obedience to the superior and common mutual love (12). The teachers of the school think of themselves not only as teachers of science, but also as spiritual guides of their pupils in the Christian life and in preparing themselves for pastoral work (14). If we imagine a pastoral school with such a spirit and structure, then it involuntarily resembles the prophetic schools of which we have spoken. And does not such a school bring up pastors at least somewhat similar to the prophets, of whom the ancient sage speaks: Elijah the prophet arose like fire, and his word burned like a lamp... in his days Elisha did not tremble before the prince... nothing overcame him... And the twelve prophets, let their bones blossom from their place! - comforted Jacob and saved him... a sure hope (Sir. 48:1, 1314; 49:12).

Notes

1. There have been monographs devoted specifically to prophetic schools, but they have only existed; They belong to the past and the centuries before last. These are: J. Alting. Historia Academiarum Hebraeorum. 1687; Werenfel. Dissertatio de scholis prophetarum. Basel, 1701; Zinck. Dissertatio de prophet. scholis. Göttingen, 1737; Hering. Abhandlung von der Propheteuschulen. Breslau, 1777; Schweyler-Mieg. De prophet. scholis, quas ferunt commentationes theolog. part. Strassburg, 1833. It is clear that these ancient books are known only by their names, from more preserved ancient books, for example: Vitringa. De synagoga vetere. Weissenfels, 1726, and mainly from the only monograph of any kind new: Guil. Rud. Kranichfеld. De iis, quae in Testamento vetere commemorantur, prophetarum societatibus. Berolin, 1861, where a list of all the earliest monographs on the question of prophetic schools is given. But Kranichfeld's work itself can hardly be called a monograph; It is rather a brochure of about 60 pages. In addition, Kranichfeld's brochure is a bibliographic rarity.

2. It must be said, however, that all these remarks are for the most part fragmentary and do not give a definite idea of the institution of the prophetic schools as a whole. Biblical commentaries only at best devote a few pages in a row to the prophetic schools, as we see, for example, Carl Friedrich Keil. Die Büscher Samuels. Biblischer Commentar über das Alte Testament / Herausgeg. von C. Fr. Keil und Franz Delitzsch, Th. 2. Bd. 2. Leipzig, 1864. S. 146151. Other commentaries are limited only to the exegesis of the relevant verses. Encyclopedias, on the other hand, sometimes do not devote special articles to the prophetic schools, but speak about them in articles devoted to Old Testament prophecy in general. See, for example, Real-Encycklopädie für protestantische Theologie und Kirche / Herausgeg. von Herzog. 2-te Aufl. Bd. 12 (hereinafter referred to as Herzog. RE2).

3. These are: J. Alting. Historia Academiarum Hebraeorum. 1687; Werenfel. Dissertatio de scholis prophetarum. Basel, 1701; Zinck. Dissertatio de prophet. scholis. Göttingen, 1737; Hering. Abhandlung von der Propheteuschulen. Breslau, 1777; Schweyler-Mieg. De prophet. scholis, quas ferunt commentationes theolog. part. Strassburg, 1833. It is clear that these ancient books are known only by their names, from more preserved ancient books, for example: Vitringa. De synagoga vetere. Weissenfels, 1726, and mainly from the only monograph of any kind new: Guil. Rud. Kranichfеld. De iis, quae in Testamento vetere commemorantur, prophetarum societatibus. Berolin, 1861, where a list of all the earliest monographs on the question of prophetic schools is given. But Kranichfeld's work itself can hardly be called a monograph; It is rather a brochure of about 60 pages. In addition, Kranichfeld's brochure is a bibliographic rarity.

4. A particularly typical study of this genus can be called: Dr. Siegmund Maybaum. Die Entwickelung des israelitischen Prophetenthums. Berlin, 1883. Regenbogen-Bibel (German) - the so-called "rainbow Bible", a critical edition of the Bible, published at the end of the 19th century. In which, according to the theory of the "four sources" of the Pentateuch, the text was printed in four different colors, respectively. -Note. Red.

5. See: Keil. Op. cit. S.74; M. Verzhbolovich. Cit. cit., p.230231.

6. The prophetic assembly mentioned in 1 Samuel 10:5,10 may not have had a permanent residence in Gibeah. It is possible that the host of prophets performed only a religious procession, which is apparently hinted at by the fact that the assembly of prophets came down from the hill and carried musical instruments, nebels, cypnors, etc. S.74), contrary to Verzbolovich's assertion that Keil is inclined to the opposite opinion (op. cit., p.230, note 1). Vitringa in his "De synagoga vetere", where there is a substantial "Dissertatio de publicis scholis Prophetarum" (C.VII. P.349361), however, remarks that, without a doubt, on the hill from which the first mentioned host of prophets descended, there was a prophetic school ("haud dubie, quod Prophetarum ibi schola fuerit". P.356).

7. M. Verzhbolovich. Cit. cit., p.232233.

8. "Also nicht die Förderung des Königs, sondern die Art und Begründung dieser Förderung war es, die Samuels und lehovas Missfallen erregte, und womit das Volk sich versündigte" - remarks F.M. Zahn in a miniature pamphlet "Samuel der Prophet und Reformator. Ein Beitrag zum Schriftverständniss" (Brämen, 1873. S.33).

9. M. Verzhbolovich. Cit. cit., p.235.

10. S. Maybaum. Op. cit. S.3839.

11. Ibid. S.729 ("Die vorsamuelische Zeit").

12. At least as long as the prophetic schools were under the personal direction of Samuel. Ibid. S.49.