Contents -- Preface -- Abbreviations -- Preliminary Matters -- Introduction -- 1. History of Research -- 2. Layout of the Monograph -- 3. Terminology -- 1. AUTHORSHIP, DATING, REDACTIONALDEVELOPMENT AND FINAL FORM -- Introduction -- 1. Authorship of Isaiah 40-55 -- 1.1. A Prophetic Individual or a Group of Prophets? -- 1.1.1. Isaiah 40:6-8 -- 1.1.2. Isaiah 42:24b -- 45:15-17 -- 47:4 -- 48:16b -- 53:1-12 -- 1.1.3. Isaiah 51:9-11, 17-21 -- 1.1.4. Isaiah 49:4, 5b -- 50:4-11 -- 1.1.5. Conclusion -- 1.2. A Female Author of Isaiah 40-55? -- 1.3. A Temple-Singer Author of Isaiah 40-55? -- 1.4. Summary -- 2. Geography and Date -- 3. The Final Form of Isaiah 40-55: A Rhetorical Unity -- 4. The Final Form of Isaiah 40-55: A Reading Drama -- 5. Conclusion -- 2. LIFE IN JUDAH AND BABYLONIN THE SIXTH CENTURY BC -- Introduction -- 1. Life in Judah during the Exile: The Biblical Accounts -- 2. Life in Judah: The Archaeologicaland Sociological Evidence -- 3. The Literary Ability of the People of Judah -- 4. Life in Babylon: The Textual Evidence -- 5. Life in Babylon: The Archaeological Evidence -- 6. Conclusion -- 3. ISAIAH 40-55 AND BABYLONIAN INFLUENCE -- Introduction -- 1. Methods in Comparative Studies -- 2. Neo-Babylonian Imperialism -- 3. Akkadian Influence in Isaiah 40-55: Loanwords and Literary Style -- 3.1. Loanwords -- 3.2. Akkadian Influence over the Language of Isaiah 40-55 -- 3.3. Isaiah 44:28-45:8 and the Cyrus Cylinder -- 3.4. The "Self Predication" Formula -- 3.5. The Trial Speeches -- 3.6. Excursion:The Quality of the Hebrew Language of Isaiah 40-55 -- 3.7. Akkadian Influence-Conclusion -- 4. Specific Texts in Isaiah 40-55 -- 4.1.The so-called Idol-Fabrication Passages -- 4.1.1. Isaiah 40:18-20 -- 4.1.2. Isaiah 44:14 -- 4.2. Babylon in Isaiah 40-55 -- 4.2.1. Isaiah 44:24-25 and 47:12-15-Magic and Diviners -- 4.2.2. Isaiah 46:1-4.

4.2.3. Isaiah 47 -- 4.2.4. Isaiah 48:14, 20 -- 4.3. Enûma Elîˇs and YHWH's Incomparability -- 5. Couleur Locale (Isaiah 44:27 -- 45:1-3) -- 6. Conclusion -- 4. A JUDAHITE PERSPECTIVE IN ISAIAH 40-55 -- Introduction -- 1. Passages that Betray a Judahite Point of Reference -- 1.1. Isaiah 41:8-10 -- 1.2. Isaiah 41:25 -- 1.3. Isaiah 43:1-7 -- 1.4. Isaiah 43:14 -- 1.5. Isaiah 45:13 -- 1.6. Isaiah 46:11 -- 1.7. Isaiah 49:12 -- 1.8. Isaiah 49:17 -- 1.9. Isaiah 52:11 -- 1.10. Conclusion -- 2. Temple and Sacrifices -- 2.1. Isaiah 40:16 -- 2.2. Isaiah 43:23-24, 28 -- 2.3. Conclusion -- 3. Conclusion -- 5. THE EXODUS MOTIF AND THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS MOTIF -- Introduction -- 1. History of Interpretation: The Centrality of the Exodus Theme -- 2. History of Interpretation: The Peripheral Character of the Exodus Theme -- 3. Exegesis of the Passages Said to Contain References to a Second Exodus -- 3.1. Isaiah 40:3-5, 9-11 -- 3.1.1. The Return of the Exiles -- 3.1.2. A Metaphorical Reading of Isaiah 40:1-11 -- 3.1.3. God's Triumphant Return -- 3.2. Isaiah 41:17-20 -- 3.3. Isaiah 42:10-16 -- 3.4. Isaiah 43:2 -- 3.5. Isaiah 43:16-21 -- 3.6. Isaiah 48:20-21 -- 3.7. Isaiah 49:7, 8-12 -- 3.8. Isaiah 49:24-26 -- 3.9. Isaiah 50:2-3 -- 3.10. Isaiah 51:9-16 -- 3.11. Isaiah 52:4-6 -- 3.12. Isaiah 52:10-12 -- 3.13. Isaiah 55:12-13 -- 4. Conclusion -- 6. ISAIAH 40-55 AS A JUDAHITE READING DRAMA:PRELIMINARY ISSUES -- Introduction -- 1. Personification and Historical Reality -- 2. Metaphors and Geographic Setting -- 3. Geography and Theology -- 4. Outline of Chapters 7-9 -- 7. JACOB-ISRAEL IN ISAIAH 40-55 -- Introduction -- 1. Isaiah 40:27 -- 2. Isaiah 41:8-16 -- 3. Isaiah 42:18-27 -- 4. Isaiah 43:1-7 -- 5. Isaiah 43:22-28 -- 6. Isaiah 44:1-5 -- 7. Isaiah 44:21-23 -- 8. Isaiah 45:4 -- 9. Isaiah 45:14-19 -- 10. Isaiah 45:25 -- 11. Isaiah 46 -- 12. Isaiah 48.

13. Isaiah 49:1-6 -- 14. YHWH, the God of Israel-Jacob(Isaiah 44:6 -- 45:15 -- 47:4 -- 48:17 -- 49:7 -- 49:26 -- 52:12 -- 55:5) -- 15. Conclusion -- 8. ZION-JERUSALEM IN ISAIAH 40-55 -- Introduction -- 1. History of Research -- 1.1. Zion-Jerusalem in Isaiah 40-55: Physical City or Symbol? -- 1.2. Zion, a Symbol of the Exilic Community? -- 1.3. Zion-Jerusalem, a Symbol of the Post-ExilicJudahite Community of Returned Exiles? -- 1.4. Conclusion -- 2. Exegetical Overview -- 2.1. Zion-Jerusalem as God's People-Isaiah 40:1-2 -- 51:16, 22 -- 52:9 -- 2.2. Zion-Jerusalem as the Recipient of Comfort-Isaiah 51:3 -- 51:19 -- 54:11-17 -- 2.3. Zion-Jerusalem and the Herald-Isaiah 40:9 -- 41:27 -- 52:7-9 -- 44:26, 28 -- 2.3.1. Isaiah 41:27 -- 2.3.2. Isaiah 52:7-9 -- 2.3.3. Isaiah 40:9 -- 2.3.1.1. Apposition: Zion, the Messenger of the Good News -- 2.3.3.2. Genitive Construction: Zion as the Recipient of the Good News -- 2.3.3.3. Zion, the Messenger and the Recipient -- 2.3.3.4. Conclusion -- 2.3.4. Isaiah 44:26, 28 -- 2.3.5. Conclusion -- 2.4. Personified Zion-Jerusalem-Isaiah 49:14-26 -- 50:1 -- 51:17-52:3 -- 54:1-10 -- 2.4.1. Isaiah 49:14-26 -- 2.4.2. Isaiah 50:1 -- 2.4.2.1. Excursion: Zion's Children -- 2.4.3. Isaiah 51:17-52:3 -- 2.4.4. Isaiah 54:1-10 -- 2.4.5. Conclusion -- 3. The Judahite Timbre of Zion's Voice -- 4. Conclusion -- 9. GOD, THE PROPHET AND THE SERVANT-COMPETING JUDAHITE PERSPECTIVES -- Introduction -- 1. The Servant -- 1.1.The Servant and Zion-Jerusalem -- 1.2. Geographical Information in the Servant Songs -- 1.3.TheTheology Expressed by the Servant Within Isaiah 40-55 -- 1.4.The Portrayal of the Servant and the of Lamentations 3 -- 2. The Prophetic Persona -- 3. The Theology of God's Voice in Isaiah 40-55 and Ezekiel -- 5. Conclusion -- 6. Excursus: Did Ezekiel and Isaiah 40-55 Influence Each Other?.

10. ISAIAH 40:1-11-THE PROLOGUE OF ISAIAH 40-55 -- Introduction -- 1. Isaiah 40:1-11-A Prologue -- 2. Isaiah 40:1-11-A Literary Unit -- 3. Allusions in Isaiah 40:1-11 to the Rest of Isaiah 40-55 -- 3.1. Isaiah 40:1-11-A Conglomeration of Themes from Isaiah 40-55 -- 3.2. A Corresponding Epilogue to Isaiah 40:1 -- 3.3. Conclusion -- 4. Exegetical Consequences -- 5. Conclusion -- 11. ISAIAH 40-55 AND LAMENTATIONS -- Introduction -- 1. Inner-Biblical Textual Allusions -- 2. Allusions in Isaiah 40-55 to Lamentations: History of Research -- 3. Reading the Allusions to Lamentations through Judahite Eyes -- 3.1. Comfort My People-Isaiah 40:1 -- 49:13 and 51:12 -- 3.2. Forsaken and Childless to Remembered and Mother-Isaiah 49:14-26 -- 3.2.1. Zion's Abandonment and Restoration-Isaiah 49:14 -- 3.2.2. Zion's Motherhood and her Children's Return-Isaiah 49:17-33 -- 3.2.3. Conclusion -- 3.3. Jerusalem's Starving and Dying Children-Isaiah 51:17-23 -- 3.4. The Return of the Exiles -- 3.4.1. Isaiah 51:11-12 and Lamentations 1:2-4 -- 3.4.2. Isaiah 52:1, 11 and Lamentations 4:15-17 -- 4. Conclusion -- CONCLUDING REMARKS -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- SOURCE INDEX -- AUTHOR INDEX -- SUBJECT INDEX.