Book of Isaiah

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The '''Book of Isaiah''' follows the [[Jews]] from their [[sin]]ful, [[Idolatry|idolatrous]] life in Judah, into their punishment of [[Babylon]]ian captivity, and back home again after their divine liberation.

==Cyrus the Messiah?==
"Anointed" as used in {{bible|Isaiah|45|1}} is translated into [[Hebrew]] as "[[messiah]]" and into Greek as "[[Christ]]". Although Christians tend to be quiet about this, the passage seems to assert that the [[Persian]] King {{wpl|Cyrus the Great}} is the messiah; the word "anointed" is used of several Jewish or Israelite figures, but Cyrus is the only foreigner so called.<ref>[https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/related-articles/cyrus-the-messiah Cyrus the Messiah], Lisbeth S. Fried, Bible Odyssey</ref> Certain fringe Christians seem to associate prophecies about Cyrus with another leader obsessed with making things great, [[Donald Trump]].<ref>[https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/an-evangelical-university-is-helping-make-a-film-that-implies-god-chose-trump/ar-AAy0TGr?li=BBnbcA1 An evangelical university is helping make a film that implies God chose Trump], MSN, May 30, 2018</ref>

==Virgin birth?==
{{main|Virgin birth}}
{{bible|Isaiah|7|14}} contains the infamously disputed verse "Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the עלמה shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel." To this day, the question of whether the Biblical term ''{{'}}almah'' above refers to a "young woman" or "girl" as in modern Hebrew or to a "virgin" (properly ''betulah'' in Hebrew) remains a divisive issue in [[Bible translation|Biblical translations]].

==Authorship==
{{cquote|2 prophets — 1 book!}}
There are arguments {{wpl|Book of Isaiah#Historical context|that more than one author composed the book of Isaiah|.}}

===Who were the authors?===
The first Isaiah, who probably wrote chapters 1-39, was a courtier and advisor in the court of King Hezekiah of Judah and several of his predecessors.

The second Isaiah, who takes over after Chapter 39, writes of the eventual restoration of a fallen [[Israelite]] nation and does not actually identify himself.

===Reasons for multiple authors===
There are several reasons for such a conclusion:

*Change of subject matter: Chapters 1-39 center on events of 700-601 BCE; it deals extensively in the repercussions of Judah's involvement in numerous wars and alliances in the area, as well as predictions of a Jewish [[Messiah]] to come. Chapters 1-12 mainly prophecy against [[Israel]] (not Judah, their home country). Chapters 13-23 mainly prophecy against foreign nations. Chapters 24-27 describes end-time judgment and may have been added in 500-401 BCE. Chapters 28-35 mainly prophecy about with Judah, Israel, Egypt, and Edom. Chapters 36-39 are a single story. After chapter 39, the return from Babylonian captivity (587 BCE) becomes the dominant subject matter and other historical events of the time are mentioned or alluded to as well; for example, Cyrus is named in {{bible|Isaiah|44|28}}. Finally, chapters 55-66, instead of focusing on a people return''ing'' home, focus on a people return''ed'' home and rebuilding a broken Judah.<ref name=CBS>http://thecenterforbiblicalstudies.org/resources/introductions-to-the-books-of-the-bible/isaiah/</ref><ref name=BibGate /><ref group=note>[[Apologetics|Christian apologists]] might respond that God could simply have predicted these future events. However, prophetic books of the Old Testament were written for a current audience. References to events a century or more in the future would have no meaning to the audience, suggesting against this idea.</ref>

*Change of God: Before chapter 40, Isaiah describes God's anger and coming vengeance (suggesting a pre-exile viewpoint), and after it, a description of God's coming mercy and forgiveness (a post-exile viewpoint).

*Isaiah's name: After chapter 39, Isaiah's name no longer appears, suggesting a different author.

We may never ''truly'' know, because the most recent transcript of Isaiah date to about 125 BCE,<ref name=DDSS>http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah</ref> about 475-575 years after Isaiah lived, which makes it impossible to tell if there were later additions or Isaiah was always one document.

That said, the consensus is for multiple authors. From the finders of the Dead Sea Scroll:<ref name=DDSS />
{{quotebox|Modern scholarship considers the Book of Isaiah to be an anthology, the two principal compositions of which are the Book of Isaiah proper (chapters 1-39, with some exceptions), containing the words of the prophet Isaiah himself, dating from the time of the First Temple, around 700 BCE, and Second Isaiah (Deutero-Isaiah, chapters 40-66), comprising the words of an anonymous prophet, who lived some one hundred and fifty years later, around the time of the Babylonian exile and the restoration of the Temple in the Persian Period. By the time our Isaiah Scroll was copied (the last third of the second century BCE), the book was already regarded as a single composition.}}

A similar view is held by the [[Catholic Church]], which states that it was compiled by later 'disciples of Isaiah'.<ref>[http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/isaiah/intro.htm Link]</ref>

===Divisions===
Almost all modern scholars agree that Isaiah was written in three sections, though some break it into four.<ref name=CBS />

'''Three divisions:'''
#Chapters 01-39: ''1<sup>st</sup> Isaiah'' or ''Proto-Isaiah''. Written by Isaiah, 700-601 BCE. Isaiah had disciples who carried on his prophetic ministry after his death.<ref name=CBS /><ref name=BibGate>https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/asbury-bible-commentary/Structure-Authorship-Date</ref>
#Chapters 40-55: ''2<sup>nd</sup> Isaiah'' or ''Deutero-Isaiah''. Written by one or more of Isaiah's followers, 600-501 BCE (probably 537 BCE<ref name=Infidels>[http://infidels.org/library/modern/gerald_larue/otll/chap18.html ''Old Testament Life and Literature'' (1968), Chapter 18 — Isaiah and Micah], available on [[Internet Infidels]]</ref>), during the Babylonian Exile.
#Chapters 56-66: ''3<sup>rd</sup> Isaiah'' or ''Trito-Isaiah''. Written by one or more of Isaiah's followers, 500-401 BCE. May or may not be clearly distinguishable from 2<sup>nd</sup> Isaiah.

'''Four divisions:'''
#Chapters 01-23, 28-34, and 36-39: ''1<sup>st</sup> Isaiah'' or ''Proto-Isaiah''. Written by Isaiah, 700-601 BCE.<ref name=CBS />
#Chapters 24-27: ''Isaiah Apocalypse''. Written by someone long after the Babylonian Exile, 500-401 BCE, and the last of the authors.
#Chapters 35 and 40-55: ''2<sup>nd</sup> Isaiah'' or ''Deutero-Isaiah''. Written by one or more of Isaiah's followers, 600-501 BCE (probably 537 BCE<ref name=Infidels />), during the Babylonian Exile.
#Chapters 56-66: ''3<sup>rd</sup> Isaiah'' or ''Trito-Isaiah''. Written by one or more of Isaiah's followers, 500-401 BCE, shortly after the Babylonian Exile.

===Importance===
Despite this broad scholarly consensus, many [[Biblical literalist]]s still assert that Isaiah 45 predicted that [[Biblical prophecies#Cyrus will conquer Babylon|Cyrus will conquer Babylon]], 150 years before the event. Isaiah 45 was likely written near or after 537 BCE,<ref name=Infidels /> right about the time of Cyrus' conquest making this "prediction" ''very'' weak.

The fact that Cyrus is mentioned by name is usually brought up as further evidence. How could people 150 years earlier know that a king named Cyrus would be born and save them? The answer is, again, that they ''didn't''; they knew him by name because they wrote at a time when he ''existed''.

Strangely, Christians tend to prefer the [[Occam's Razor|less simple solution]] of miracles over the simpler and commoner one of literary synthesis, as if [[Biblical prophecies|the Bible's "accuracy"]] could somehow shore up their faith.

Where Christians might leap to the [[Miracle|"miraculous"]] [[Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence|prophetic explanation]] for the match between the "prophecy" and such real historical facts, normal [[History|historians]] see the same match and conclude that the more [[Occam's Razor|likely]] explanation is that "Isaiah" was writing with the benefit of hindsight, ''especially'' given that we actually have no record of the Book of Isaiah predating these events.

===Other religious views===
The [[Talmud]]<ref>Bava Basra (15a)</ref> states that the book of Isaiah was written by 'King Hezechaiah and his attendants'.

== Intertextuality of the Markan text and Isaiah ==
The Intertextuality of the Markan text and Isaiah has been recognized by many scholars.{{sfn|Sawyer|1996|loc=§. Isaiah and Christian Origins}}{{sfn|Price|2018|pp=3–5}}. Some of the Isaiah chapters alluded to in the [[Gospel of Mark]] are:

<small>'''Chapter''' : ''Interpretation by Markan author''</small>{{sfn|Price|2018|pp=3–5}}
* 01 : God judges
* 05 : God's admonition and punishment
* 06 : God punishes
* 11 : ID servant
* 13 : God's admonition and punishment
* 14
* 19
* 29
* 40 : God judges
* 42
* 43 : ID saviour
* 49 : Jesus prophecy
* 50 : Suffering servant
* 53 : Suffering servant
* 56 : Suffering servant
* 64 : God punishes
* 65 : Ignorance of saviour's identity
* 66 : God's punishment explained
Isaiah 49:6 states, "thou mayest be '''my salvation''' unto the end of the earth".<ref name="Miller.1997.49" /> The words "my salvation" would likely be used by the Markan author as an intertextual prophecy foretelling Jesus (whose {{wpl|Jesus#Etymology|name means Yahweh's salvation}}). However some scholars hold that the name "Jesus" may derive from the name "Isaiah" or "Joshua" (as per the Greek [[Septuagint|LXX]]) or even "Jason"—a god and hero in Hellenistic Greek culture.<ref name="Ory.1968.29"/><ref name="Godfrey.2017.Jason" />

==Isaiah and human rights==
The book of Isaiah has a large amount to say on [[social justice]]; this sort of sentiment is something neglected by many [[conservative]] [[Christian]]s, who tend to focus on the exclusionary parts of the Bible. For example, {{bible|Isaiah|58|6|10}} gives the following poem as an instruction from God: 

{{quotebox|6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: / to loose the chains of injustice / and untie the cords of the yoke, / to set the oppressed free / and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry / and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— / when you see the naked, to clothe him, / and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, / and your healing will quickly appear; / then your righteousness [a] will go before you, / and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; / you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. / "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, / with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry / and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, /  then your light will rise in the darkness, / and your night will become like the noonday.}}

==Trivia==
Isaiah is described in the book [[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/2 Kings|2 Kings]]. (Chapters 15-16 are copied from Jeremiah 48, and chapters 36-39 are copied from {{bible|2 Kings|18|13|20:19}}. ''Or could it be the other way around?'')

1980s Christian [[heavy metal]] band Stryper often referred to {{bible|Isaiah|53|5}} on their album covers. 

The text of The Messiah by Handel is taken from Isaiah, and regardless of your religious beliefs is a sweet piece of composition.

==See also==
*[[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/Isaiah]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
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* {{cite book|last=Price|first=R. G.|title=Deciphering the Gospels: Proves Jesus Never Existed|edition=2nd revised|year=2018|publisher=Lulu Publishing Services|isbn=978-1-4834-8782-3|ref=harv}}
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* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Sawyer|first=John F. A.|title=The Fifth Gospel: Isaiah in the History of Christianity|year=1996|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-56596-7}}
{{refend}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%|refs=
<!-- G -->
<ref name="Godfrey.2017.Jason">{{cite web |last1=Godfrey |first1=Neil |title=[https://vridar.org/2017/12/16/was-the-name-jesus-too-common-to-belong-to-a-deity-or-archangel/ Was the name "Jesus" too common to belong to a divinity or archangel?] |date=16 December 2017}} ''Vridar''.</ref>
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<ref name="Ory.1968.29">{{cite book |last1=Ory |first1=Georges |title=[http://www.mythicistpapers.com/2012/09/28/the-christ-and-jesus-ory/ Le Christ et Jésus] |date=1968 |publisher=Éditions du Pavillon |language=fr|quote=[T]he name Jesus was first coined in Greek as Iesous and that it became Jesus in Latin. The Christian half-God was never called Yeoshua. This shows that those who derive the name from Judea have been influenced by Christian belief. It is said that Jesus is the same name as Isaiah or Joshua or Jason. [...] The composite name ''Jesus Christ'' (or ''Christ Jesus'') is virtually unknown in the New Testament outside of the pauline epistles . . . we find these locutions but once each in Mark and Matthew... —(pp. 29–38)}}</ref>
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<ref name="Miller.1997.49">Miller, Fred P. ('''c.''' 1997). "[https://ao.net/~fmoeller/nazer2.htm#49:6 Isaiah's Use of the word "Branch" or Nazarene]". <em>ao.net/~fmoeller</em>. Moellerhaus. "[Isaiah 49:6] And he said, Is it a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the "preserved of Israel:" I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be "my salvation" unto the end of the earth."</ref>
}}

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[[Category:Major and Minor Prophets]]
[[Category:Old Testament]]

Categories: Major and Minor Prophets, Old Testament