Prophesying in the latter half of the eighth century B.C.E. during the reigns of Judah’s kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (c. 758-698 B.C.E.), Micah came from the Judean town of Moreshet-Gat. Despite his ties to Judah, however, Micah addresses his prophecies to both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Micah is the first of the prophets to foretell the destruction of Jerusalem and to link that destruction to the idolatry and injustices of the city’s inhabitants. Micah challenges both political and economic elites, warning the rulers of the doom their policies are engendering, and denouncing dishonest business practices. His most famous utterance is among Judaism’s most universal teachings: that God’s only demand of humanity is to “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God” (6:8).
