Nostradamus, which is the Latinised name of Michel de Nostredame, was one of the world's most famous publishers of prophecies. He is best known for his book Les Propheties, the first edition of which was created in 1555.
Since the publication of this book, which has rarely been out of print since his death and has always been hugely popular throughout the world with a variety of people, Nostradamus has attracted an almost cult following. His many enthusiasts, to say nothing of the press, credit him with predicting numerous major world changing events.
In comparison, most of the academic sources listed below maintain that the associations made between world events and Nostradamus' quatrains are largely the result of misinterpretations or mistranslations, sometimes deliberate mistranslations, or else are so tenuous as to render them useless as pieces of evidence of any genuine predictive ability. Moreover, none of the sources listed offers any evidence that anyone has ever interpreted any of Nostradamus' quatrains specifically enough to allow a clear identification of any event before its actual occurrence.
Nevertheless, interest in the work of this prominent figure of the French Renaissance is still considerable, especially in the media and in popular culture scene, and the prophecies have in some cases been assimilated to the results of applying the alleged Bible Code, as well as to other reported prophetic works.
Sociologist Max Weber distinguished two types of prophets, the emissary type and the exemplary. The emissary types believe that they have received an important message that must be communicated to others. The exemplary type’s base their religious authority on experience that’s purpose is to set an example to others.
Greek and Roman Oracles
The role of spokesperson for the gods is an archaic one in the Hellenic world. However, the word prophet itself derives from the Greeks, who used the word προφήτης to make reference to an interpreter or spokesperson of a deity. In Greek religion the interpreters of Zeus, Apollo, and other gods were known as the oracles, at numerous ancient sites, where the god or goddess spoke through women, sometimes identified as sibyls and the utterances. In many of the Greek legends, oracles (particularly Apollo's at Delphi) spoke cryptically of the future, and their meaning was frequently misunderstood.
Prophets in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)
In Hebrew, the word traditionally translated as prophet is nevi, which is most likely to mean "proclaimer".
The meaning of nevi is perhaps described in Deuteronomy 18:18, where God said, "I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them all that I command him." Thus, the navi was thought of as the "mouth" of God.
Prophets in Jewish thought
Classical Jewish texts teach that the most direct forms of prophecy ended shortly after the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE and the codification of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) by the Men of the Great Assembly (Anshei Knessset HaGedolah). However, various rabbinic Jewish workings, including the midrash, say that other less direct forms of communication between man and God still exist, and have not ever ended.