Isaiah between Judaism and Christianity

Early Christian Reception and Interpretation

Edited by Tobias Nicklas Edited by Judith König Edited by Stefan Green Edited by Antti Laato

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Paperback (Published)

(February 2026)

ISBN: 9783161632860

6.1 x 9.13 inches

Price: $164.00

In stock

The studies collected in this volume examine the reception history of the Book of Isaiah within early Christianity, the important role the book played in emerging Christianity, and the strategies and intentions that shaped its reception in early Christian literature.


English summary: The contributors to this volume illustrate the way in which exegesis of the book of Isaiah was developed in early Christianity. Reception unfolded within spaces opened, shaped, and defined along Judaeo-Christian borderlines. The book of Isaiah was of utmost importance to the first Jesus followers and their literary production, particularly in the way they articulated their beliefs. Consequently, scholars have often referred to Isaiah as “the fifth Gospel.” The present volume collects investigations into the specific ways the book of Isaiah was received in various early Christian contexts – from the canonical gospels to early Syriac Christian literature. The contributors explore the different modes and purposes of reading Isaiah and integrating its ideas, style, and concepts into new writings. German description: Das von Gelehrten oft als “funftes Evangelium” bezeichnete Buch Jesaja war fur die literarische Produktion des fruhen Christentums von ausserordentlicher Bedeutung und formte die Art und Weise, wie die ersten Jesus-Anhanger ihren Glauben zum Ausdruck brachten. Die hier versammelten Studien beleuchten die Entwicklung der fruhchristlichen Exegese des Jesajabuches, dessen Rezeption sich in den Raumen gestaltete, die entlang Grenze zwischen Judentum und Christentum eroffnet, gestaltet und definiert wurden.

Using Isaiah in the New Testament Judith Konig/Tobias Nicklas: The Reception History of Isa 40:3 in the First to Third Century CE: Puzzle Pieces and Emerging Patterns - Lukas Bormann: The Influence of the Book of Isaiah on Luke-Acts - Lotta Valve: Isaiah and the Baptist in John 1 - Jan Dochhorn: Virginal Birth and Isa 7:14: The Background of a Myth Using Isaiah in Early Christian Writings Stefan Green: The Question of Identification in Justin Martyr's The Dialogue with Trypho and His Use of Isa 65:1-3 - Sven-Olav Back: 'A Seed for Salvation' (Isa 1:9/Dial. 55.3): Justin Martyr on the Ability to Understand the Scriptures - Antti Laato: Jacob Is Christ: Justin Martyr between Jewish Isaiah-Exegesis and Christological Explanations - Simon Johansson: Angelomorphic Features, Charismatic Manifestations, and Triadic Formulas: Isa 11:2-3a and Pneumatology in Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyon, and Tertullian - Michael Sommer: Isa 58 and the Making of Early Christian Ethics: A Short Glimpse on the Reception of a Prophet in the Second Century Using Isaiah in Anti-Jewish Polemical Contexts Martin Meiser: Describing Misbehavior and Misusing Scripture: Jewish Self-Criticism and Christian Anti-Jewish Criticism - Carl Johan Berglund: Isaiah's Act of Accusation (Isa 1:2-20) in Early Christian Anti-Jewish Polemics - AnneMarie Pilarski: Jews in the Margin(alia): Exegetical Patterns in the Interpretatio Isaiae (CPG 6559) Attributed to Hesychius of Jerusalem Isaiah in Early Syriac Christian Literature Serafim Seppala: The Fifth Gospel? The Christological Use of Isaiah in Ephrem the Syrian - Topias Tanskanen: Aphrahat's Use of Isaiah in Demonstrations: Two Case Studies Isaiah in Hymnological Context Anni Maria Laato: Isaiah and the Christological Titles in the O-Antiphon Clavis David ~GER~Using Isaiah in the New Testament Judith Konig/Tobias Nicklas: The Reception History of Isa 40:3 in the First to Third Century CE: Puzzle Pieces and Emerging Patterns - Lukas Bormann: The Influence of the Book of Isaiah on Luke-Acts - Lotta Valve: Isaiah and the Baptist in John 1 - Jan Dochhorn: Virginal Birth and Isa 7:14: The Background of a Myth Using Isaiah in Early Christian Writings Stefan Green: The Question of Identification in Justin Martyr's The Dialogue with Trypho and His Use of Isa 65:1-3 - Sven-Olav Back: 'A Seed for Salvation' (Isa 1:9/Dial. 55.3): Justin Martyr on the Ability to Understand the Scriptures - Antti Laato: Jacob Is Christ: Justin Martyr between Jewish Isaiah-Exegesis and Christological Explanations - Simon Johansson: Angelomorphic Features, Charismatic Manifestations, and Triadic Formulas: Isa 11:2-3a and Pneumatology in Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyon, and Tertullian - Michael Sommer: Isa 58 and the Making of Early Christian Ethics: A Short Glimpse on the Reception of a Prophet in the Second Century Using Isaiah in Anti-Jewish Polemical Contexts Martin Meiser: Describing Misbehavior and Misusing Scripture: Jewish Self-Criticism and Christian Anti-Jewish Criticism - Carl Johan Berglund: Isaiah's Act of Accusation (Isa 1:2-20) in Early Christian Anti-Jewish Polemics - AnneMarie Pilarski: Jews in the Margin(alia): Exegetical Patterns in the Interpretatio Isaiae (CPG 6559) Attributed to Hesychius of Jerusalem Isaiah in Early Syriac Christian Literature Serafim Seppala: The Fifth Gospel? The Christological Use of Isaiah in Ephrem the Syrian - Topias Tanskanen: Aphrahat's Use of Isaiah in Demonstrations: Two Case Studies Isaiah in Hymnological Context Anni Maria Laato: Isaiah and the Christological Titles in the O-Antiphon Clavis David ",

Using Isaiah in the New Testament
Judith König/Tobias Nicklas: The Reception History of Isa 40:3 in the First to Third Century CE: Puzzle Pieces and Emerging Patterns - Lukas Bormann: The Influence of the Book of Isaiah on Luke-Acts - Lotta Valve: Isaiah and the Baptist in John 1 - Jan Dochhorn: Virginal Birth and Isa 7:14: The Background of a Myth
Using Isaiah in Early Christian Writings
Stefan Green: The Question of Identification in Justin Martyr's The Dialogue with Trypho and His Use of Isa 65:1-3 - Sven-Olav Back: 'A Seed for Salvation' (Isa 1:9/Dial. 55.3): Justin Martyr on the Ability to Understand the Scriptures - Antti Laato: Jacob Is Christ: Justin Martyr between Jewish Isaiah-Exegesis and Christological Explanations - Simon Johansson: Angelomorphic Features, Charismatic Manifestations, and Triadic Formulas: Isa 11:2-3a and Pneumatology in Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyon, and Tertullian - Michael Sommer: Isa 58 and the Making of Early Christian Ethics: A Short Glimpse on the Reception of a Prophet in the Second Century
Using Isaiah in Anti-Jewish Polemical Contexts
Martin Meiser: Describing Misbehavior and Misusing Scripture: Jewish Self-Criticism and Christian Anti-Jewish Criticism - Carl Johan Berglund: Isaiah's Act of Accusation (Isa 1:2-20) in Early Christian Anti-Jewish Polemics - AnneMarie Pilarski: Jews in the Margin(alia): Exegetical Patterns in the Interpretatio Isaiae (CPG 6559) Attributed to Hesychius of Jerusalem
Isaiah in Early Syriac Christian Literature
Serafim Seppälä: The Fifth Gospel? The Christological Use of Isaiah in Ephrem the Syrian - Topias Tanskanen: Aphrahat's Use of Isaiah in Demonstrations: Two Case Studies

Isaiah in Hymnological Context

Anni Maria Laato: Isaiah and the Christological Titles in the O-Antiphon Clavis David

  • Edited by Tobias Nicklas
  • Edited by Judith König
  • Edited by Stefan Green
  • Edited by Antti Laato