Social Criticism in the Book of Amos in Light of Recent Archaeological Research

Abstract Amos is marked by strident social criticism depicting enormous affluence of the elite, particularly in Samaria. On what appears to be the other side of the coin, there are simple peasants under increasing economic pressure. The present article contributes to an ongoing discussion regarding the historical background of this literary evidence. It argues that contrary to an overly skeptical view prevailing in parts of exegetical research, there is in fact significant archaeological evidence which renders such socio-economic constellations historically probable for the first half of the 8th century BCE, thus supporting the assumption of a literary composition containing Amos-style social criticism in the second half of the 8th century.