Opening the Sealed Book: Interpretations of the Book of Isaiah in Late Antiquity

By Joseph Blenkinsopp

Of all the texts in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, perhaps no book has a more colorful history of interpretation than Isaiah. A comprehensive history of this interpretation between the prophet Malachi and the first days of Christianity, Joseph Blenkinsopp's Opening the Sealed Book traces three different prophetic traditions in Isaiah -- the "man of God," the critic of social structures, and the apocalyptic seer.

Blenkinsopp explores the place of Isaiah in Jewish sectarianism, at Qumran, and among early Christians, touching on a number of its themes, including exile, "the remnant of Israel," martyrdom, and "the servant of the Lord." Encompassing several disciplines -- hermeneutics, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Second Temple studies, Christian origins -- Opening the Sealed Book will appeal to Jewish and Christian scholars as well as readers fascinated by the intricate and influential prophetic visions of Isaiah.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802840213
• ISBN13: 9780802840219
• Release Date: November 2006
• Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
• Length: 335 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"