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

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.