Jesaja

Jesaja, known in English as Isaiah, is a major figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. The book that bears his name is one of the Major Prophets and contains a collection of oracles, narratives, and poems attributed to or associated with him. The work is foundational for both Jewish and Christian traditions.

Traditional attribution places the writings to the prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem in the 8th century BCE. Modern scholarship distinguishes three temporal layers within the book: Proto-Isaiah (chapters 1–39), Deutero-Isaiah (chapters 40–55), and Trito-Isaiah (chapters 56–66), reflecting different historical contexts and authorship.

Content and themes include judgments against Judah and the nations, calls to repentance, and visions of future restoration and divine sovereignty. The book also contains prominent messianic expectations and the famous suffering servant passages, notably in chapters 7, 9, and 53, which have been interpreted in diverse ways in Jewish and Christian traditions.

Historical context spans the late 8th century BCE during Assyrian pressure on Judah, the Babylonian exile of the 6th century BCE, and the Persian-period return to Jerusalem that followed. These settings influence the diverse voices and perspectives found in the text.

Literary and textual tradition: Isaiah comprises 66 chapters and is integral to the Tanakh and to the Christian Bible. It has been preserved in Hebrew for Jewish communities and in Greek, Latin, and other languages for Christian communities, with significant manuscript witnesses such as the Dead Sea Scrolls contributing to its textual history.