Amos was an 8th-century BCE Israelite prophet from Teqoa, a region in the southern Kingdom of Judah. A former shepherd and sycamore fig farmer, he is recognized as one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. He traveled to the northern Kingdom of Israel to deliver messages regarding divine judgment and the necessity of social justice. His teachings emphasized that religious rituals were meaningless without righteous behavior and economic fairness. He is credited with authoring the Book of Amos, which is considered one of the earliest examples of prophetic literature.