Library/Old Testament pseudepigrapha
Ascension of Isaiah
Isaiah is sawn in two. In the second half he ascends through seven heavens and sees the descent of the Beloved. A Christian merkabah built on a Jewish martyrdom.
- Status
- Pseudepigrapha
- Date
- 1st–2nd century CE (Jewish martyrdom + Christian ascent)
- Languages
- Ethiopic (complete) · fragments in Latin, Slavonic, Greek
- Setting
- Manasseh’s court; then seven heavens
What it contains
- Martyrdom of Isaiah
- Testament of Hezekiah
- Vision of the seven heavens
Why it sits outside most canons
Composite and Christian in its ascent; not received as prophet-book.
Themes
- Martyrdom
- Heavens
- Beloved
- Beliar
Passages
Asc. Isa. 5:1
Beliar dwelt in the heart of Manasseh, and he sawed Isaiah in half with a wood saw.