Isaiah among the Ancient Near Eastern Prophets : a comparative study of the earliest stages of the Isaiah tradition and the Neo-Assyrian prophecies

Doctoral Thesis

The study focuses on prophecy as a historical phenomenon by offering a comparison between parts of First Isaiah and the Assyrian prophecies. In the first part of the study the material from First Isaiah and from seventh-century Assyria is investigated in its own right. The second part is a comparison of the Isaiah tradition in its earliest shape on the one hand and the prophetic material from seventh-century Assyria on the other. The comparison contains three aspects: the interrelation of prophetic oracles and historical events; the functions of the prophets; and the literary development of prophecy. The main conclusion of the study is that the earliest stages of the Isaiah tradition - i.e. the prophetic material from the eighth century and its earliest revision in the seventh century - to a great extent correspond with the prophetic material of seventh-century Assyria. Based on this conclusion, the hypothesis that prophecy as a historical phenomenon in ancient Israel was much more...Show moreThe study focuses on prophecy as a historical phenomenon by offering a comparison between parts of First Isaiah and the Assyrian prophecies. In the first part of the study the material from First Isaiah and from seventh-century Assyria is investigated in its own right. The second part is a comparison of the Isaiah tradition in its earliest shape on the one hand and the prophetic material from seventh-century Assyria on the other. The comparison contains three aspects: the interrelation of prophetic oracles and historical events; the functions of the prophets; and the literary development of prophecy. The main conclusion of the study is that the earliest stages of the Isaiah tradition - i.e. the prophetic material from the eighth century and its earliest revision in the seventh century - to a great extent correspond with the prophetic material of seventh-century Assyria. Based on this conclusion, the hypothesis that prophecy as a historical phenomenon in ancient Israel was much more in conformity with prophecy in the ancient Near East in general than the biblical sources at face value suggest, gains further support.Show less

Isaiah (biblical book)

Isaiah (prophet)

Prophecy

Ancient near Eastern prophets

Assyrian prophecies

Comparative study

Literary prophecies