03_Biblica_1_D_Schutte_Layout 1 30/01/13 13:16 Pagina 542 542 WOLFGANG SCHÜTTE SUMMARY The oracles of Amos written in the 8th century BCE were brought from the Kingdom of Israel to Judah after the fall of Samaria in 720 BCE. We think that the Israelites in “exile” in Judah were hoping for a restoration at that time. The Book of Amos can be interpreted in this context: it ex- plains the feelings of Israelite refugees in Judah (Amos 1‒2), the respon- sibility of the Israelite elite for the disaster (Amos 3‒6), the reason why the people bear the consequences of the catastrophe (Amos 7), and why there is hope for the refugees in Judah, but not for the exiles in Assyria (Amos 8‒9). © Gregorian Biblical Press 2012 - Tutti i diritti riservati