|
||
Profile:
Name: Book of Isaiah
Author: various, but mostly the Prophet Isaiah
Dating: finished by the 6th century BCE
Book of Isaiah:
The book of Isaiah, probably written some time in the 6th century BCE and addressed to
the community of exiled Jews living in Babylon, emphasizes the principles of holiness, justice and
ultimately the salvation of the Jewish people. Isaiah was born around 740 BCE and he later
advised four different rulers of the southern kingdom of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz
and Hezekiah. Tradition has it that Isaiah was martyred some time between 701 and 690 BCE.
The book itself, however, probably reached its current form around 180 BCE.
Isaiah achieved a great deal of prominence among Christian writers who have interpreted the "suffering servant" passages in chapters 52 and 53 as referring to the coming of Jesus. It has, at times, been called the "fifth gospel" because of this. For Jews, however, Isaiah was about contemporary events, not prophecies about Jesus. Because of this, Jews and Christians differ very sharply about how to read some things in Isaiah.
One of the most famous passages where such disagreement exists is Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel." Although the word almah is translated here as "young woman," Christians have traditionally read it as "virgin," thus leading them to think that Jesus' birth fullfilled a prophecy here. In Hebrew, however, it really is simply "young woman," and Christians have been mislead all these years.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
What is Christianity?
What are the various Christian groups, denominations, sects and heresies? What are some key concepts in Christian theology? What are some of the most important events in Christian history? All of this and more are covered in the Christianity FAQ.Judaism FAQ
Exploration of important terms, concepts and people relevant to the study of Judaism and Jewish history.Bible FAQ
The "Bible" is a central feature in the religious beliefs and devotions of most Christians - and a major portion of it, known as the "Old Testament," is important to Jews. Muslims, whose holy scriptures are collected in the Qur'an, also revere the Bible. But just what is the Bible? What is contained in it, where did it come from, and how reliable is it? This developing FAQ will present historical and critical information about the Bible and biblical scholarship.
