There are also those who think that the divine inspiration would have glimpsed the sacred author only a generic king of the Persians, menacing people already settled in the North and East of Mesopotamia in the time of King Hezekiah (the first historical mention of the Media and Persia dates back to 835 BC: in the annals of Salmanassar III it is said, in fact, that the Assyrian king received the tribute from the king of Persia and reached the regions of Media on Lake Urmia). There are a few loan words from Egyptian, and a few from Assyrian (Assyrian Akkadian), which was the lingua franca in northern Mesopotamia until it was replaced by Aramaic roughly during the period 750 to 650 BC. Replacing broken pins/legs on a DIP IC package. Portions of 4055 really were written before the exile. Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, The proof we have that Chapter 53 is a true prophecy of the future should enable us to believe the name "Cyrus" was announced before he was born. Most remarkable, however, are the prophecies of Isaiah delivered a century before Babylon had risen to power and recorded at a time when Babylon was still in obscurity with no indication of its coming greatness. sabbath; there was a withholding of the tithes - but none of these authors I suggest anyone who finds this odd actually investigate the clear(and obvious) parallels about these "doubles" for themselves. Until the year 1843, when the excavation at Khorsabad were started. Cross posted at, @Henry - tense has nothing to do with it. Using Kolmogorov complexity to measure difficulty of problems? Because Isaiah 40-66 contains Chapter 53, one of the most breathtaking prophecies in the whole of the Old Testament. I name you, though you do not know me. that gates may not be closed: Cyrus (580-529 BC) was the first Achaemenid Emperor, Who says Jesus couldnt predict the fall of Jerusalem, judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/31318/, skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/17871/, Its Difficult to Make Predictions, Especially About the Future, http://biblechronologybooks.com/scientificmethod.html, http://biblechronologybooks.com/hebrewkings.html, http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/579794/jewish/Haftorah-in-a-Nutshell.htm, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. This is confirmed in John 12:41 where John reveals that the prophet Isaiah actually saw Jesus Christ when he had a vision of the Lord on the throne in heavenhundreds of years before Jesus was born. For Isa 41,2-3. And in Isaiah 43, the Jews seem to be in Babylon: This is what the Lord says have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not? loose, To open before him two-leaved doors, Yea, gates are not shut: However, it is possible that the book of Isaiah is simply written after the event and written in a way that make it look as if it could predict prophecy. In the Bible, Isaiah 13:1. says, "The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.". More directly regarding the question at hand: 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. From here on, there are also no more mentions of Isaiah. However, One thing that I notice lacking in your answer is the references. 4055: Deutero-Isaiah, the work of an anonymous Exilic author; That the book of Isaiah was written by a single author and way before the time of Cyrus might have been believed at the time the caves of Qumran were filled with scrolls. the worship of graven images there was unknown. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile took place in the sixth century, but in chapters 4055, Isaiah speaks about these events as though theyve already happened. What kind of evidence (if any) could be used to identify a large conquest in the time before writing? 6 Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will pay it back into their laps, 7 both for your iniquities and for those of your fathers," says the LORD. The idea of multiple authors of Isaiah began with Johann Doederlein, professor of theology at Jena, a rationalist who lived in the "Age of Enlightenment", and who died over 150 years before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. I am no expert in 40 plus languages, and confess I rely on. This happened with the Letter to the Hebrews. By inspiration, he knows that Judah will be exiled as well. Study Guide, WhenJesuscame to the Americas after His death andResurrection, He quoted from the scriptures, but of, I fell in love with this book nearly as soon as I picked it up, Stay up to date with the latest news, fulfilled prophecies, and study tips. A. Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord Almighty: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. 34:8 and 61:2; This fits with the timeline of chapters 1-39, where the Babylonian captivity clearly hasn't taken place yet. There would typically be one Tartan controlling the left side of the battlefield and another controlling the right side, and the King controlling the middle deployment. Answer (1 of 4): The answer is not as simple or linear as hoped. Others argue that Isaiah likely wrote an even smaller section of the book, possibly as few as seven chapters (612). So the Romans used each Sabbath day to build the siegeworks and do all sorts of things which greatly helped them to conquer Jerusalem! It only takes a minute to sign up. The language fell into decay and its military terms would have fallen more quickly into oblivion, seeing as there was no longer any Assyrian Army after 609 bc. In my view, all of the above points 1 to 8 are accumulative evidence that the whole of chapters 44-66, along with the word "Cyrus" in 44:28 and 45:1, was written at the same time as 1-39, before the Babylonian Captivity, which started about 605 BC. Passages from both collections are recorded by various Book of Mormon writers" If so, no miracles or prophecies are required to explain the mention of Cyrus in the Book of Isaiah: Chapter 45, where his name is mentioned, was originally written during the time of Cyrus's rule. 45, 1). Sargon's Palace was magnificent and Isaiah mentioning him by name shows that he was a contemporary, thus making the writing of the book of Isaiah dated towards the end of the eighth cenrtury B.C. While other prophets talk about the future, Isaiah seems to talk in the future. Note2: In Christian world, this sort of "I told you so" fulfillment lead to disputes of when a text is actually written. In the ancient Middle East it was commonplace for a ruler to have a 'local' name in each area he ruled. ), during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh of the Southern Kingdom of Judah., Since Isaiahs ministry was centered in Jerusalem, this is the most likely location of the books origin., Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Unlocking Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, by Victor L. Ludlow. I grew up with dogs, in a house surrounded by woods although we lived in the suburbs. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Before 687BC. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Scholars date the scroll of Isaiah to at least 150 years before Jesus ever walked the face of the Earth. Scholars believe that the prophet Isaiah was a real, historical person who lived during the eighth century, when many of the events recorded in Isaiah historically took place. Welcome to History SE James. Isaiah 20:1 is key in its reference to Sargon. There are three items in Isaiah 20:1 which give clues as to when it was written: In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it; 1) The use of the term Tartan shows at least this section of Isaiah was written early, prior to 600 bc. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Isaiah 39:57. "Cyrus"? says your God. Collection one, with an emphasis upon prophecies of judgment (chapters 135), Collection two, with significance, placed on promises of redemption (chapters 4266). It only speaks of true prophets and false prophets. And yet many Jews cared a great deal about their religion and their Scriptures. [2] c. 520 BC-c. 411 BC [citation needed] prophecy of Haggiah, Zechariah, Joel (?) They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels. Isaiah 66:20. and with the last(P)I am he. This causes a dispute over when the Gospel was actually written. Nevertheless, some believers accept the visions of Isaiah without perplexity, because they think that the prophecies contained in the "Proto Isaiah" concern the great destruction of Sennacherib of 689, after the attempt of Babylon to free itself from the yoke of the Assyrians. But, actually, Isaiah. As far as Babylon is concerned, skepticism has forced many scholars to expel the chapters 13-14 and 21 from "Proto Isaia", in which the fall of the city by the Medes is predicted. We have numerous reasons to believe the book of Daniel was written when Daniel said it was written, between 604 B.C. They needed encouragement to believe in the God of the Scriptures: and to see the name "Cyrus" in the 150 year old book of Isaiah would surely have encouraged some of them to comply with the decree and go back to Judaea. Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved. That is why Isaiah's name does not appear after chapter 39. "The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw." The Persian conquest of Babylon, which took place in 538 by Cyrus (who occupied the city without fighting, declaring himself successor of Nabonidus at the behest of the god Marduk), would be treated, however, in some later chapters (Isaiah 46 and 47) belonging to the so-called " Deutero Isaiah. Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. FUCK ME NOW. who formed you from the womb: that she has received from the Lords hand Judah was going through times of revival and times of rebellion. The prophet, therefore, far from knowing miraculously and with two centuries in advance the exact name of a Persian king, could have simply glimpsed as "Anointed Lord" a foreign king, consecrated by God to free the people of Israel and to prepare the returning home, especially to the exiles of the Northern Kingdom, deported to Assyria by King Sargon II (2 Kings 17) after the fall of Samaria (722 BC). Furthermore, there is historical information in Isaiah chapters 1 to 39 which has been confirmed from other sources. The OT Prophet Isaiah lived in the 8th-century BC. Frankly, the post-Captivity world in the Old Testament is remarkably similar to our modern world, namely, no graven images, no gross worship of the ancient vicious gods of Baal and Molech, and no miracles either (until the New Testament period). and cut through the bars of iron, 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. The Bible has had various people duplicated. Neque enim Kyrio, quod Dominum sonat, sed Cyro dicitur, here Hebraice appellatur Khores, regi Persarum, here Babylonem Chaldaeosque superavit. 4. and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? "To the Hebrews, written from Italy by Timothy". ), Then finally the King James Authorised Version tells us Hebrews is, "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews". All dates are given according to the Common Era, not the Hebrew calendar. The earliest manuscript we have of the Book of Isaiah is The Great Isaiah Scroll: The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa) is one of the original seven Dead Sea Isaiah lived about 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. There are very few foreign loan words in the Hebrew of either 1-39 or 40-66. My next question is if the book of Isaiah came about in the way that modern scholars say that it did, with redactors adding portions such as passages about Cyrus after the event it pretends to predict then "Where are all the other books of prophecy"? 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. The oldest copy of Isaiah we have is from the Dead Sea Scrolls, dated from around 175 BC. And it is in 1-39 that the destruction of Babylon by the Medes is prophesied (Isaiah 13:17). Get updates from Zondervan Academic directly in your inbox. This was known to Cyrus by his reading the book which Isaiah left behind him of his prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken thus to him in a secret vision: "My will is, that Cyrus, whom I have appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to their own land, and build my temple." By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. The Assyrian Army ceased to exist when the Assyrian Empire ceased in 609 bc, when it was destroyed by the Babylonians. More scholarly: such passages are very likely a Vaticinium ex eventu: "prophecy from the event" is a technical theological or historiographical term referring to a prophecy written after the author already had information about the events being "foretold". The burden of proof is on you, I am afraid. When Cyrus gave the decree for as many of them as wanted to go back and rebuild Jerusalem then the Jews needed some encouragement to leave their financially secure lives and go. Unanimous suggests not anonymous. Created by. God used him to uncover spiritual realities of his own time but also of the near and far future. when he says, Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight. Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. The next manuscript is Miniscule 104 from the 11th century which claims, "To the Hebrews, written in Hebrew from Italy anonymously by Timothy"(! He was believed to have written chapters 1-39 in The Book of Isaiah with the balance of the book authored by several other prophets. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Isaiah, called the prince of the prophets, wrote with exceptional beauty and imagery. You have entered an incorrect email address! and brought to a final form by such careless production processes as modern scholars claim? Obviously, Chapter 53 truly predicts the future because we have it preserved in the Great Isaiah Scroll of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which we know was written at least a century and a half before the beginning of Christ's ministry. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, We have therefore the question "Is there any evidence that the book of Isaiah was written before Cyrus?" Born in Jerusalem, Israel, he was said to have found his calling as a prophet when. and 532 B.C. The narrator remains in this period until the end of the book. There are numerous challenges in the Book of Isaiah that lead scholars to speculate about which parts were written by Isaiah himself, and what else was added and by whom. Place or time information is completely missing. The text is written so as to appear that the prophecy had taken place before the event, when in fact it was written after the events supposedly predicted. good friday agreement, brexit. There is no good reason to doubt it was all written by the Prophet Isaiah whose prophetic ministry had started by 739 BC when King Uzziah died (Isaiah 6:1) and who died after the death of King Hezekiah, in the sole reign of King Manasseh which began 686 BC. I merely mean their belief is a cynical view of the book of Isaiah, and necessarily attributes bad motives - including an intention to mislead - to someone, somewhere in the production of the book of Isaiah as we have it today. Such a belief is cynical, attributing to either the original author or the compilers of the final version a dishonest purpose - to try to produce a document which looks as if the Isaiah of 700 BC was predicting the name of a man who became king of Persia 559 BC and fulfilled some of the prophecy around 539 BC, namely Cyrus.
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