Looking at foreigners in biblical and Greek prophecy

The article investigates the role of foreigners in biblical and Greek prophecy and shows how words against foreigners or foreign people are used to reaffirm one's own (i.e Israelite or Greek) ethnicity or group identity. Oracles against foreigners have to be located in the context of (imagined or actual) war and tend to imply salvation for the group who hears these words. Here, a few short characterizations of the foreigners are used that tend to evoke stereotypical images. Whether the knowledge of the other is historically accurate or based on concrete encounters is, however, not important for the authors of such words since the salvation of the own group is the determining feature.