RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Irving Isaacs
represents that pious fidelity which guards the inherited blessing, more occupied with its preservation than with any idea of further gain. For later Jews he appears as " the chief of the bound and tortured " (Midrash to Esther), that is, the prototype of martyrs.
The story of Isaac is made up from the three Pentateuchal sources, which agree essentially in their narratives and guarantee the historical character of Isaac's personality. His name does not yield to the explanation that it belonged to a divinity or a tribe, the significance " he laughs "- being inappropriate to both.
The designation of God as " the fear of Isaac " (Gen. xxxk 42, 53) is peculiar. Since this " fear " was sworn by, it must mean " divinity," corresponding to the Greek sebas in tlte sense of sebasma, " an object of awe or reverence."
(C. von Orelli.)
Bibliography: A. Bernstein, Ur&prung der Sagen von Abraham, Isaak und Jakob, Berlin, 1871; J. Popper, Ursprung des M onotheismus, pp. 261 sqq., ib. 1879; J. B. Mozley, Riding Ideas in Early Ages, chaps, ii.-iii., New York, 1879; E. C. A. Riehm, H andworterbuch des biblischen Altertums, pp. 791-792, Leipsic, 1893; G. B. Gray, Studies in' Hebrew Proper Names, p. 214, London, 1896; G. Maspero, Struggle of the Nations, p. 68, ib. 1896; DB, ii. 483- 485; EB, ii. 2174-2179 -(stimulating); JE, vi. 616-618. Consult also the appropriate sections in works on the history of Israel and the commentaries on Genesis.
ISAAC OF ANTIOCH: The name of a writer (perhaps of several writers) of the early Syrian Church. Jacob of Edessa (cf. W Wright, Catalogue of the Syriac Manuscripts in the British Museum, ii. 603-604, London, 1871) distinguishes three of the name, two whom he calls orthodox and a third whom he styles a Chalcedonian heretic. The first was a disciple of Ephraem, and went to Rome in the time of Arcadius; on his return he was kept for some time in prison in Constantinople, and later became presbyter of Amida. The second, presbyter of Edessa, went to Antioch in the time of the Emperor Zeno and the patriarch Peter the Fuller (see Moxophysites, §§ 4 sqq.), and preached against the Nestorians, taking his text from a parrot which he had heard screech the trisagion with the addition " crucified for us." The third, also from Edessa, was orthodox in the time of Bishop Paul (512 sqq.), but Nestorian under Asclepius (522 sqq.). Gennadius knows of two writers of the name. The second (De vir. ill., lxvi.), presbyter of Antioch, lived to an advanced age and wrote much, including an elegy on the fall of Antioch (459); he died under Leo and Majorian (between 459 and 461) . Zacharias Rhetor (ed. K. Ahrens ant' G. Kriiger, Leipsic, 1889, p. *20) mentions " Isaac, the teacher of Syria," with Dada in the time of Arcadius and Theodosius. Dionysius of Telmahre knows of poems by Isaac on the capture of Rome by the Goths (410) and the secular games of 404. Johannes bar Shushan (d. 1073), who collected the writings of Isaac, calls him a disciple of Ephraem's disciple, Zenobius. There is an edition of his works (incomplete) by G. Bickell (2 vols., Giessen, 1873-77); thirty-seven productions out of about two hundred are given, including a poem of not less than 2,136 lines on the parrot and the trisagion, and another of 1,928 lines on
repentance. A volume of Isaac's homilies has been
published by P. Bedjan (Paris, 1903).
E. Nestle.
Bibliography: J. S. Assemani, Bibliotheca orientalis, i. 207- 304, Rome, 1719; P. Zingerle, in TQ, lii (1870), 92-114; G. Cardahi, Liber thesauri de arte poetica Syrorum, pp. 21— 25, Rome, 1875; W. Wright, Short Hist, of Syriac Literature, pp. 51-54, London, 1894; R. Duval, Litterature syriaque, pp. 340-341, Paris. 1900; DCB, Hi. 295-296.
ISAAC OF NINEVEH: Bishop of Nineveh in the seventh century. He was made bishop by the patriarch George (660-680), in succession to Moses, but retired after five months, and died, almost blind from much study, in the monastery of Rabban Shabor. One of his works exists in Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic, and also in a Greek translation by two monks, Patricius and Abraham, of the monastery of Mar Saba, southeast of Jerusalem, and published by Nicephorus (Leipsic, 1770; in MPG. lxxxvi. 799-888). A Latin translation under the title Isaac Syrus, liber de contemptu mundi in fiftythree chapters is in the Bibliotheca magna (Cologne, 1618, VI., ii. 688; Gallandi, Bibliotheca, xii. 3). Another work entitled " Letter to the Holy Father Simon in the Wonderful Mountain " is published in Greek in Mai's Nova Bibliotheca, vol. viii., part 3 (Rome, 1871), pp. 156-188; it is interesting for its information about Malpat of Edessa, the originator of the Messalians, and the knowledge it shows of apocalyptic literature. E. Nestle.
Bibliography: The earlier literature, viz., J. S. Assemani, Bibliotheca orientalis, i. 44, Rome, 1719; W. Wright, Short Hist, of Syriac Literature, London, 1894; and J. B. Chabot, De S. Isaaci Ninivitae vita, scriptis et doctrina, Paris, 1892, is to be corrected by Jesusdenah, eveque de Bacrah, le livre de la chastete, ed. J. B. Chabot, Rome 1896, cf. J. B. Chabot in Revue semitique, 1896, p. 254. Consult also: DCB, iii. 291-292; W. Wright, Catalogue of Syriac MSS., ii. 569-581, London, 1870-72.
ISAAC BEN SHESHET BARF AT: Spanish Jewish talmudist; b. at Valencia in 1326; d. at Algiers in 1408. He studied at Barcelona, where he also began his life-work, early gaining a reputation as a talmudist and being called upon for legal opinions. When fifty he became rabbi, removed later to Saragossa, and thence to Valencia. In 1391, in consequence of persecution of the Jews, he fled, going to Algiers, where he was made rabbi. He was the author of 417 " responsa " which have been highly valued by competent authorities, published as She 'elot u-Teshubot (Constantinople, 1546-47); and possibly of an unpublished commentary on the Pentateuch. Bibliography: JE, vi. 631-632.
ISAACS, ABRAM SAMUEL: Jewish rabbi; b. in New York City Aug. 30, 1852. He was educated at New York University (B.A., 1871) and the University of Breslau (1878), and since 1886 has been connected with New York University, where he has been professor of Hebrew (1886-94) and German (since 1887). He was also preacher to the East 86th Street Synagogue, New York City, in 1886-87, and since 1896 has been rabbi of B'nai Jeshurun Congregation, Paterson, N. J. He was editor of The Jewish Messenger from 1878 to 1903, and has written, Life and Writings of Moses Chaim Luzzatto (New York, 1878) and Stories from the Rabbis (New York, 1894).
Isaiah