The Ascension of Isaiah

This book is one of the first modern collections of studies on important aspects of the Ascension of Isaiah, which occupies a special place among the early Christian writings, due to its complicated origin and its relevance in regards of the early Christian self-understanding in respect of the Jews. The volume starts with an analysis of the place of the Ascension in the development of early Christian prophecy and continues with several chapters that discuss the problems of the date, provenance, genre and interpretation of the Ascension as well as its potential relationship to Marcion. The following chapters focus on various aspects of the Ascension, such as its mystical character, oracular nature, self-designation, Johannist constellation, religious experience, cosmology, the descent of Christ, eschatology and the Virgin birth. A final chapter looks at P. Amh. I 1, the Greek witness to the Ascension of Isaiah. The volume concludes, as has become customary, with a bibliography and index.