Prophets are figures from the Old Testament who conveyed the word of God, among them Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, Ezekiel, and Habbakuk. Their prophecies usually admonished the Israelites and inspired their choice of a proper moral path. The message underscored the well-being of the Jewish nation and typically contained warnings against disobedience to God and promises of rewards for submission to his wishes. These biblical personages are not only key to Judaism but also to the Christian faith as they are the ones who foretold the coming of Christ. Isaiah, for instance, spoke of the virgin birth of the Messiah and Elijah spoke of his second coming.
The prophets are often represented in religious art, the most remarkable examples rendered by Michelangelo on the Sistine ceiling at the Vatican (1508-1512). They also appear in the Psalter of Jean, Duke of Berry (c. 1380-1385; Paris Bibliothèque Nationale) rendered by André Beauneveu and on the predella in Pedro Berruguete's Retablo de Santa Eulalia (after 1483; Paredes de Nava, Church of Santa Eulalia). From 1415 to 1435, Donatello sculpted a series of prophets for the niches in the Campanile of the Cathedral of Florence, now housed in the Museo dell' Opera del Duomo.
Historical dictionary of Renaissance art. Lilian H. Zirpolo. 2008.