Isauites. See Obadiah (Abu-Isa).
Is'cah (Heb. Yiskah', 'n'S'q^, spy; Sept. 'leaxa), the daughter of Haran, and sister of Milcah and Lot (Gen. xi, 29; comp. 31). Jewish tradition, as in Josephus(^nt i, 6, 5), Jerome {Q>i(est. in Genesim), and the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, identifies her with Sauaii (q. v.).
Iscar'iot (laKapiwTtjc, probably from Heb. T^J'^N ni'"ip, ??Mm of Kerioth), a surname of Judas the trai- tor, to distinguish him from others of the same name (Matt. X, 4, and often). See Kekiotii; Judas.
Is'dael ('I(T(!«/;\,Vulg. 6'acffZa^eZ), the name of one of the heads of families of " Solomon's servants" that re- turned from the captivity (1 Esd. v, 33) ; evidently the GiDDEL (q. V.) of the Heb. texts (Ezra ii, 56 ; Neh. vii, 58).
Iselin, Isaac, a German philosopher and philan- thropist, was born at Brsle March 27, 1728. He was educated at the university for the law profession, but much of his time was devoted to the study of philoso- phy, and he deserves our notice as the author of a Ge- schichte d. Menschheit (Frkf. and Lpz. 1764, 2 vols. 8vo, and often), and Traiime eines Menschenfreundes (Zurich, 1758, 8vo, and often). He was a very conspicuous help- er of Basedow (q. v.) in the i)hil()S(j]iliic efiiirts of the latter, founded a "society for the piililic good" at Basle, aided in founding the Helvetic Society (1761), in which Hirzel, Sarasin, Pfeffel, and others took part, and was, in short, one of the most prominent leaders in the hu- manitarianism or philanthropism which flourished in the second half of last century in Germany, and more especially in Switzerland. Isaac Iselin died June 15, 1782. See Hurst's Hagenbach, Church Hist, of the 18th and I9th Cent, i, sect, xiv ; professor Vischer, Proyramm (Basle, 1841, 4to). (J.H.W.)
Iselin, James Christopher, a Swiss Protestant theologian and ])hil(iliii;ist, was born at Basle June 12, 1681. After he hail acquired a good knowledge of the classics, and especially of Greek, he applied himself to the study of Hebrew and theology. He Avas ordained in 1701, and in 1705 was appointed professor of history and rhetoric at Marburg. In 1707 he returned to Basle, and became successively professor of history, of antiqui- ties, and finally (1711) of theology, in the university of that place. In 1716 he visited France (he had previously made a journey there in 1698), and was warmly received at Paris by chancellor D'Aguesseau. In 1717 he was elected member of the Academic des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres. Iselin died April 14, 1737. He had been in relation with some of the most eminent men of his day, such as cardinal Passionei, the archbishop of Can- terbury, Wake, the marquis Beretti Laudi, ambassador of Spain, etc. He wrote In S< utnittam. Jac. Benj. Bos- suet de Bahylone bestiisi/ii, ,1 m,,; trice Ajiocalypseos (Basle, 1701, Uo) •.—iSpcriiiini nlistrrationum atque con- jecturarum ad orientalem. philoloyiam et criticen perti- nentium (Basle, 1704, 4to) : — Be Magorum in Persia Dominatione (Marb. 1707, 4to) -.—Dissertatio qua mundi ceternitas argumentis historicis confutatur (1709, 4to) : — De Canone Novi Testamenti (in lUiscellanea Groninga- na, vol. iii), against Dodwell : etc. He also contributed a number of articles to the Mercure Suisse (1734-5), etc. See Beckjl'jVrt Iselini (Tempe Jfelretica, vol. iii) ; Eloge d' Iselin (Hist, de FA cad. des Inscriptions, vol. vi) ; Schel- horn, Lebensbeschr. Iselin" s {Acta Hist. Eccles. vol. ii; iii, 1156; iv, 1160); Moren, Diet. ; Chauffepie, 7)ic^ ; J.R. Iselin, Laudatio Iselini.— lioefer, Nouv. Biogr. Generale, xxvi, 50 (J. N. P.)
Isenbiehl, Joiiann Laurenz, a German Roman Catholic theologian, was born on the Eichsfeld in 1744. Of his early history we know nothing, but in 1773 we find him appointed to the position of professor of the Oriental languages and exegetical literature at Mentz. As his first theme before the students over whom he had been chosen to preside, he selected the interpreta- tion of Isa. vii, 14. He advanced the opinion that it was erroneous to attribute any connection to this pas- sage Avith jMatt. i, 23, and asserted that it did not at all refer to Immanuel the Christ, or to IMary, the moth- er of Christ ; that ^Matthew only alluded to this passage because of its similarity with the circumstances of the birth of Christ. Of course he was at once deposed
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from nis position, and, as is customary among Roman Catholics, deprived of his personal liberty on account of proi)a<,'atinf,' and cherishing heretical opinions. He was returned to the theological seminary for further instruc- tion, and released two years after. In 1778, however, he appeared lieforc the public, defending his original opin- ion under the title oi Neuer Versuch iiber d. IVsissCz/un- ijen V. Jmmamtel (Coblenz). He liad meanwhile been reappointed to the professional dignity, and his persist- ency in defending his peculiar interpretations again de- prived him of his position, and he was once more im- prisoned and put on trial. His book was forbidden to all good lioman Catholics by all archbishops and bish- ops^ and in 1779 a bull was issued against it by the pope. In the interim he had made his escape from prison, but, finding the ecclesiastical authorities all opposed to him, he recalled his former opinion, and was honored with ecclesiastical dignity (1780). In 1803 his income was reduced to a small pension, and he lived in want imtil his death in 1818. Isenbiehl also wrote on the diacrit- ical points under the title of Corpus decisionum dof/mat- icarum. See Walch, Neueste Relig. GescMchte, viii, 9 sq. ; Schrockh, Kirchengesch. s. d. Ref. vii, 203 sq. ; Henke, Kirchengesch. vii, 199 sq. ; Fuhrmann, Ilandw. d. Ki/-- chengesch. ii, 507. (J. H. W.)