Isaiah The Eighth Century Prophet

Bernhard Anderson has written a commentary that gives new perspective and clarity to the prophetic tradition and demonstrates the timely nature of the prophets' messages for today. 'The Eighth Century Prophets' treats the four Old Testament figures as a 'prophetic quartet' that produced a powerful and startling consensus about Israel's relationship to God and the world. The core of the prophetic message is shown to be both religious and political as Anderson describes and explains the great themes of Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah: divine judgment, the present and the future, justice and mercy, the covenant, walking humbly with God, and waiting for God. Included is a bibliography and time chart of Eighth Century Israel.

In this powerful sociological introduction, D. N. Premnath brings together the social reality of eighth century B.C.E. Israel and Judah and the prophetic oracles of Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah to explore the significance of their prophetic message and vision in today's context. He focuses on various dimensions of land accumulation by the upper class and its effect on the poor. Premnath uniquely uses a systemic sociological approach, incorporating both comparative and historical data to reconstruct the social reality of the period and to reveal aspects of the oracles not covered by previous exegesis. The sociohistorical section will be of keen interest to students as well as to scholars.

In this lucid study, Berges interprets the scroll of Isaiah as a 'literal cathedral', written by many hands and empowered by the experience of sorrow and disaster, liberation and joy. Methodologically, the book combines synchronic and diachronic perspectives and paves the way to a fruitful conversation between them. The vast reception history of the Book of Isaiah in the Septuagint, the New Testament, and in rabbinic and Christian traditions, as well as in painting and music, is also illustrated by some of the most illuminating examples.

Comments on the oracles of a prophet who lived in the closing half of the 8th century B. C. and whose interest in contemporary politics and international affairs was the product of his faith in the Holy God, who rules in and over all history.