Bibliography
| Title: Josephus' Portrait of Isaiah Secondary Title: Writing and Reading the Scroll of Isaiah: Studies of an Interpretive Tradition. Vol. 2 Volume: 2 Pages: 583-608 Type: Book Section Year: 1997 Abstract: Asen, Ben A. in: OTA 21.3 (1998), 462: "Josephus had great respect for the prophets, but he downgrades the importance of Isaiah. According to F., there are seven major reasons for this: 1) Josephus, the priest, was disappointed with Isaiah, who decried traditional sacrifices; 2) Josephus was subservient to Rome, whereas Isaiah counseled Hezekiah to defy the Assyrians; 3) Josephus omits Isaiah's messianic passages so as not to offend the Romans, who would presumably be overthrown by such a Messiah; 4) Josephus, descended from Hasmonean kings, the rivals of the Davidids, downgrades the prophet of such a Messiah; 5) Because Hezekiah was regarded as a Messiah, Josephus downgrades his chief supporter, Isaiah; 6) Josephus diminished Isaiah because of Isaiah's and David's importance for nascent Christianity; 7) Because the key factor in prophecy for Josephus was truth, he was disturbed that, while Isaiah prophesied Hezekiah's death, God let him life fifteen years". |