Isaiah was a prophet, the author of the biblical The
Book of the Prophet Isaiah. He lived in Jerusalem approximately
from 766 to 701 BC. The Christian tradition emphasized in particular the
following messianic prophecies:
Isaiah 7:14 “… the Lord of his own accord will give you a sign; it
is this: A young woman is with child, and she will give birth to a son…”
is interpreted as an annunciation of the virgin birth.
Isaiah 9:6 “For a child has been born to us, a son is given to us;
he will bear the symbol of dominion on his shoulder, and his title
will be:
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty Hero, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”,
is understood as heralding the advent of Jesus, the awaited Messiah.
Isaiah 11:1 “Then a branch will grow from the stock of Jesse, and a
shoot will spring from his roots”. Jesse is the father of David, and Joseph,
Mary’s husband, descends from David.
A legend from apocryphal texts describes the martyrdom of Isaiah: King
Manasseh, son of Ezekias, ordered Isaiah to be sawn in two in the tree
where he was hiding to escape persecution.
See: Duccio di Buoninsegna.Maestà:
The
Prophet Isaiah.