A while back in my office - it was probably around International Women's Day, the discussion arose about prophetesses and whether the Bible recorded any. The colleague I was talking to is a well-informed Muslim although she's not specifically trained in theology. She didn't remember any being mentioned in the Kuran although she thought it was reasonable to assume that some of the thousands of prophetic messengers that are referenced in the Kuran were women.
It seems likely to me that if one accepts both the speaking 'messenger' and speaking-writing 'prophet' within Islam as "prophets," it's quite likely that Eve, Mary the mother of Jesus, and other women could be considered prophets according to Islam. However, an internet search quickly shows that this is a disputed opinion, and it is certainly not one that I have the expertise to speak about.
Anyways, for the student of the Torah, Psalms, Prophetic and Gospel writings, it is certainly clear that there were prophetesses. In fact, they are listed throughout Scripture. So, a pop quiz:
How many prophetesses are named in the Bible? Who are they?
Who is the one in the Torah? Who are the two in the historical writings? Who is the one in the prophetic writings? Who is the one in the Gospel writings about Jesus? Who are the ones in the earliest church?
Miriam, the sister of Aaron and Moses - Exodus 15:20 - It is not mentioned whether she married or not in the Scripture themselves. Some tradition suggests she was.
Deborah - Judges 4-5 - Her husband is mentioned, but children are not.
Huldah - 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 34:22 - Her husband is mentioned though children are not.
_?????_, unnamed wife of Isaiah - Isaiah 8:3 - Her husband was also a prophet; she had at least two sons. (Some suggest she may simply be being referred to as "the prophet's wife" in this passage, but many argue against this.)
Anna - Luke 2:36 - She had been married, but had been widowed for a long time when she sees Jesus and is mentioned as a prophetess. (related post on "
The Odd Notion of 400 Silence Years")
The 4 Daughters of Philip - Acts 21:9 - These daughters are specifically mentioned as being unmarried at the time when they met Paul and Luke.
Each of these prophetesses, as well as the additional women and passages below, could be considered in a lot more detail in order to develop a thorough understanding of this area. The people and priests and kings of Israel would all come to these prophetesses to consult them about the word of the LORD. Personally, I wanted to have a clear answer to the question, but the answer will always depend on the phrasing of the questions.
How many prophetesses of the Lord are NAMED in Scripture? 4 along with others who like many prophets in Israel remained unnamed. How many prophetesses of the Lord are mentioned in Scripture? 8.
Additional tidbits and relevant Scriptures:
Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17-18 [cf 1:15; 2:1-4]; 1 Corinthians 11:5
Two women are mentioned as false prophetesses as well, Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14) and Jezebel (Revelation 2:20). In the second case, the name might be figurative.
The Jewish Talmud (rabbis' discussions of the Scriptures) lists seven Jewish prophetesses: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. (
Megillah 14a) It is also gives the reasons each is considered a prophetess. It is interesting that the Talmud does not include Isaiah's wife.
