This book examines the tales of three regular yet simultaneously remarkable figures of the biblical world: the tragic prophet Jeremiah, and the two atypical prophets Jonah and Balaam. Jeremiah was cursed from birth and condemned to a lifelong losing battle against national disaster. Jonah was notorious for his connection with an oversized fish, while Balaam was best known as the owner of a talking donkey. All prophets (servants of their god), they are portrayed as also being in a state of rebellion against their god. This book contends that these tales, beyond their intrinsic appeal as tales, were written to serve as metaphors. Although set in ancient times and in the exotic Near East, the issues that underlie these gripping tales are not unfamiliar to modern times and Western lives. These prophets are meant to represent everyman and these unusual dramas act as explorations of the phenomenon of revolt against restrictive conditions and against authority.