Early Jewish and Christian communities defined their identity by locating themselves in the story told in the Scriptures of Israel. The present volume unearths new insights into the dynamics of this process by examining early interpretations of Isaiah's »servants.«
The Book of Isaiah describes an Israelite group called the »servants,« who suffered for their righteousness and were promised vindication. This collection of essays shows how the Isaian »servants« texts were used by early Jewish and Christian readers to shape their own community identity. It includes analyses of Psalms 22, 69, and 102, Daniel, Wisdom of Solomon, Mark, Luke and Acts, Romans, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, 1 Peter, Revelation, and Targum Jonathan on Isaiah, as well as investigations into the relationship between exegesis and identity formation and into how the Isaian Servant(s) are presented within the framework of Israel's history.
Table of contents:
Michael A. Lyons/Jacob Stromberg: Introduction: »This is the Heritage of the Servants« -
D. Andrew Teeter/Michael A. Lyons: The One and the Many, the Past and the Future, and the Dynamics of Prospective Analogy -
Michael A. Lyons: The Servants in Psalms 22, 69, and 102 -
Jacob Stromberg: A Covenantal Community and a New Creation after the Flood: The Wise in Daniel 11-12 and the Servants of the Lord in Isaiah -
Holly J. Carey: The Servants in Wisdom of Solomon -
Elizabeth E. Shively: The Servant(s) in the Gospel of Mark and the Textual Formation of Early Christian Identity -
Holly Beers: The Servant(s) in Luke-Acts -
Jan Rüggemeier: Transworld Characters and the Isaian Servant(s) Theme in Romans -
Mark S. Gignilliat: Paul and Isaiah's Servants in 2 Corinthians -
James P. Ware: The Servants of the Servant in Isaiah and Philippians -
Volker Gäckle: Jesus, the Slaves, and the Servant(s) in 1 Peter 2:18-25 -
Sheree Lear: Following the Lamb Wherever He Goes: The Reception of Isaiah's Servant Narrative in Revelation -
William A. Tooman: The Servant-Messiah and the Messiah's Servants in Targum Jonathan Isaiah -
Michael A. Lyons: »He Will Call His Servants by Another Name«: Concluding Reflections on Community Identity and the Exegesis of Isaiah
