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 ISAIAS

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ISAIAS

preface to his "Commentary on Amos" (P. L., XXV, 989) points out this error. Of Isaias's ancestry we know nothing; but several passages of his prophecies (iii, 1-17, 24; iv, 1; viii, 2; xxii, 16) lead us to believe that he belonged to one of the best famiUes of Jerusa- lem. A Jewish tradition recorded in the Talmud (Tr. Megilla, 10b.) held him to be a nephew of King Amasias. As to the exact time of the Prophet's birth we lack definite data; yet he is believed to have been about twenty years of age when he began his public ministry. He was a citizen, perhaps a native, of Jerusalem. His writings give unmistakable signs of high culture. From his prophecies (vii and viii) we learn that he married a woman whom he styles "the prophetess" and that he had two sons, She'ar- Yashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Nothing what- ever indicates that he was twice married as some fancy on the gratuitous and indefensible supposition that the 'alnuih of vii, 14, was his wife.

The prophetical ministry of Isaias lasted wellnigh half a century, from the closing year of Ozias, King of Juda, possibly up to that of Manasses. This period was one of great prophetical activity. Israel and Juda indeed were in sore need of guidance. After the death of Jeroboam II revolution followed upon revolu- tion and the northern kingdom had sunk rapidly into an abject vassalage to the Assyrians. The petty nations of the West, however, recovering from the severe blows received in the beginning of the eighth century, were again manifesting aspirations of independence. Soon Theglathphalasar III marched his armies to- wards Syria; heavy tributes were levied and utter ruin threatened on those who would show any hesitation to pay. In 725 Osee, the last King of Samaria, fell mis- erably under the onslaught of Salmanasar IV, and three years later Samaria succumbed to the hands of the Assyrians. In the meantime the Kingdom of Juda hardly fared better. A long period of peace had enervated characters, and the young, inexperienced, and unprincipled Achaz was no match for the Syro- Israelite coalition which confronted him. Panic- stricken he, in spite of the remonstrances of Isaias, resolved to appeal to Theglathphalasar. The help of Assyria was secured, but the independence of Juda was thereby practically forfeited. In order to explain clearly the political situation to which so many allu- sions are made in Lsaias's writings there is here sub- joined a brief clironological sketch of the period: 745, Theglathphalasar III, king of As.syria; Azarias (A. V. Uzziah), of Juda; Manahem (A. V. Menahem) of Sa- maria; and Sua of Egypt; 740, death of Azarias; Joatham (A. V. Jotham), king of Juda; capture of Arphad (A. V. Arpad) by Theglathphalasar III (Is., X, 9); 738, campaign of Theglathphalasar against Syria; capture of Calano (A. V. C'alno) and Eraath (A. V. Hamath) ; heavy tribute imposed upon Mana- hem (IV Kings, XV, 19-20) ; victorious wars of Joatham against the Anmionites (II Par., xxvii, 4-6) ; 736, Mana- hem succeeded by Phaceia (A. V. Pekahiah) ; 735, Joatham succeeded by Achaz (IV Kings, xvi, 1 ) ; Pha- ceia replaced by Phacee (A. V. Pekah), son of Romelia (A. V. Remaliah), one of hL- captains; Jerusalem be- sieged by Phacee in alliance with Rasin (A. V. Rezin), kingof Syria(IVKings,xvi, 5; Is., vii, 1, 2); 734, Theg- lathphalasar. replying to Achaz' request for aid, UKirclics against Syria and Israel, takes several cities of Nortli ami ICast Israel (IV Kings, xv, 29), and banishes their inhabitants; the .\s.syrian allies devastate part of the territory of Juda and Jerusalem; I'liarcc slam dur- ing a revolution in Samaria and succ<'c(lcil by see (A. V. Hoshea); 733, unsuccessful expeditions of Achaz against Edom (II Par., xxviii, 17) and the Philistines (20); 732, campaign of Theglathphalasar against Damascus; Rasin besieged in his capital, captured, and slain; Achaz gfx's to Damascus to pay homage to theAssyrianrulcr (IV Kings, xvi, 10-19); 727,deathof Achaz; accessionofEzeeliias (IV Kings, x viii, 1); in As-

syria Salmanasar IV succeeds Theglathphalasar III; 726, campaign of Sahnanasar against Osee (IV lungs, xvii, 3) ; 725, Osee makes alliance with Sua, king of Egypt (IV Kings, xvii, 4) ; second campaign of Sal- manasar IV, resulting in the capture and deportation of Osee (IV Kings, xvii, 4); beginning of the siege of Sa- maria; 722, Sargon succeeds Salmanasar IV in Assyria; capture of Samaria by Sargon; 720, defeat of Egyp- tian army at Raphia by Sargon; 717, Charcamis, the Hittite stronghold on the Euphrates, falls into the hands of Sargon (Is., x, 8); 713, sickness of Ezechias (IV Ivings, XX, 1-1 1 ; Is., x.xxviii) ; embassy from Mero- dach Baiadan to Ezechias (IV lungs, xx, 12-13; Is., xxxix); 711, invasion of Western Palestine by Sar- gon; siege and capture of Azotus (A. V. Ashdod; Is., xx); 709, Sargon defeats Merodach Baiadan, seizes Babylon, and assumes title of king of Babylon; 705, death of Sargon; accession of Sennacherib; 701, ex- pedition of Sennacherib against Egypt; defeat of latter at Elteqeh; capture of Accaron (A. V. Ekron) ; siege of Lachis; Ezechias's embassy; the conditions laid down by Sennacherib being found too hard the king of Juda prepares to resist the As.syrians; destruction of part of the Assyrian army ; hurried retreat of the rest (IV Kings, xviii; Is., xxxvi, xxxvii); 698, Ezechias is succeeded by his son Manasses. The wars of the ninth century and the peaceful security following them produced their effects in the latter part of the next cen- tury. Cities sprang up; new pursuits, although afford- ing opportunities of easy wealth, brought about also an increase of poverty. The contrast between class and class became daily more marked, and the poor were op- pressed by the rich with the connivance of the judges. A social state founded on iniquity is doomed. But as Israel's social corruption was greater than Juda's, Israel was expected to succumb first. Greater likewise was her religious corruption. Not only did idolatrous wor- ship prevail there to the end, but we know from Osee what gross abuses and shameful practices obtained in Samaria and throughout the kingdom, whereas the re- ligion of the people of Juda on the whole seems to have l)ecn a little better. We know, however, as regards these, that at the very time of Isaias certain forms of idolatrous worship, like that of Nohestan and of Mo- loch, probably that also of Tammuz and of the "host of heaven", were going on in the open or in secret.

Commentators are at variance as to when Isaias was called to the prophetical office. Some think that previous to the vision related in vi, 1, he had received communications from heaven. St. Jerome in his com- mentary on the passage holds that chapters i-v ought to be attributed to the last years of King Ozias, then ch. vi would commence a new series begun in the year of the death of that prince (740 B. c; P. L., XXIV, 91; cf. St. Gregory Nazianzen, Orat. ix; P. G., XXXV, 820). It is more commonly held, how- ever, that ch. vi refers to the first calling of the Prophet; St. Jerome himself, in a letter to Pope Da- masus, seems to adopt this view (P. L., XXII, 371 ; cf. Hesychius"InIs.",P.G., XCIII, 1372), and St. John Chrysostom, commenting upon Is., vi, 5, very aptly contrasts the promptness of the Prophet with the ter- giversations of Moses and Jeremias. On the other hand, since no prophecies appear to be later than 701 B. c, it is doubtful if Isaias saw the reign of Manasses at all; still a very old and widespread tradition, echoed bytheMishna(tr.Velianioth, 19b; cf.Sanhedr., 103b). has it that the Prophet survived Ezechias and was slain in the persecution of Manasses (IV Kings, xxi, 16). This prince had him convicted of blasphemy, because he had dared say: "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne" (vi, 1), a pretension in conflict with God's own assertion in Exod., xxxiii, 20: "Man shall not sec me and live". He was accused, moreover, of having predicted the ruin of Jerusalem and called the holy ci'.y antl the people of Juda by the accursed names of Sodom and Gomorrah. According to the