(fl. 8th cent BCE)
Israelite prophet. He proph-esied in Jerusalem from the death of Uzziah until the middle of Hezekiah's reign (740-701 BCE). He protested against unrighteousness and demanded justice for the poor and downtrodden. He opposed all treaties with neighbouring states and insisted that the people should put their trust in God. He proclaimed that the nation would be punished through Assyrian conquest and domination, but that a remnant of the people would return and continue the covenant. Most scholars believe the book of Isaiah should be divided into two sections (1-39; 40-66); they are believed to have been written by different authors: Isaiah and Second Isaiah.
Dictionary of Jewish Biography. Dan Cohn-Sherbok.