Opening the Sealed Book

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 interpretation of Isaiah between the prophet Malachi and the emperor Constantine, Joseph Blenkinsopp's "Unsealing the Sealed Book" explores the methods and interpretive conclusions of diverse groups. Blenkinsopp points out that the book of Isaiah was a sustaining factor in many dissident movements in the period studied and traces three different prophetic traditions from Isaiah, the "Man of God," the critic of social structures, and the apocalyptic seer. He details the place of Isaiah in Jewish Sectarianism, Qumran, and among early Christians, and touches on a number of its themes, including exile, "the remnant of Israel," martyrdom, and "the servant of the Lord."Crossing the disciplines of hermeneutics, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and early Christianity, "Unsealing the Sealed Book" will appeal to Jewish and Christian scholars, as well as readers fascinated by the complex, influential prophetic visions of Isaiah.

Joseph Blenkinsopp is John A. O'Brien Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the University of Notre Dame.