Isaiah's Vision of Peace in Biblical and Modern International Relations

RAYMOND COHEN is a Professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. RAYMOND WESTBROOK is a Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University, USA.

• Introduction; R. Cohen and R. Westbrook ISAIAH THE PHILOSOPHER Isaiah's Prophecy and the Idea of "Classical Harmony"; S. Sofer PEACE ORDERS ANCIENT AND MODERN On Pax Assyriaca in the 8th-7th Centuries BCE and Its Implications; F. Mario Fales Swords into Plowshares in an Age of Global Governance; A. Hurrell THE SEARCH FOR SECURITY Let Other Kingdoms Struggle with the Great Powers: You, Judah, Pay the Tribute and Hope for the Best; N. Na'aman "You Have Heard What the Kings of Assyria Have Done": Disarmament Passages vis-a-vis Assyrian Rhetoric of Intimidation; T. J. Lewis ISAIAH AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY Is Isaiah an "Offensive Liberal"?; B. Miller Is Isaiah a Social Constructivist?; T. Dingott Alkopher ISAIAH AND THE LITERARY TRADITION Swords into Plowshares: The Development and Implementation of a Vision; H. Williamson World Peace and "Holy War": Two Sides of the Same Theological Concept: "YHWH as Sole Divine Power"; I. Fischer RELIGION AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS Isaiah's Vision of Human Security: Virtue-Ethics and International Politics in the Ancient Near East; S. M. Thomas From Holy War to Holy Peace: Biblical Alternatives to Belligerent Rhetoric; M. Nissinen ETHICS AND INTERNATIONAL ORDER "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!": A Realist Response to Isaiah's Irenic Vision; A. Hyde-Price Conclusion: Swords into Plowshares Then and Now

"Isaiah might be bemused by such attention almost three millennialater; but all of us will be enriched by the resultant collection ofelegant essays, each on a specific theme, but all playing counterpoint to notions with surprisingly (or maybe not) contemporary timbres, among them the search for security, the plea fordisarmament, the resistance to intimidation, the realization of peacethough justice, the championing of human rights, and the crafting ofa world order. Highly recommended, to students of the ancient world but also to those exploring the future through the past." - Jack M. Sasson, Werthan Professor of Judaic and Biblical Studies, Vanderbilt University "The contributors represent a broad range of opinion on the interpretation of Isaiah 2:1-4 itself and the categories of contemporary thought that bear on the great issues of today. No thoughtful person, and especially no religious person who believes that the Bible retains, in whatever way, its transformative power in the contemporary world, can ignore the issues discussed here including human rights, the ethics of war (holy war, just war), globalization and internationalism." - Joseph Blenkinsopp, John A. Brien Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies, University of Notre Dame "Cohen and Westbrook present a stimulating collection of essays that open an important dialog between experts in the fields of biblical studies and international relations. Isaiah s magisterial vision of peace has long been the subject of reflection by theologians, but its political ramifications - in both the ancient and modern worlds - have received little serious attention. Much remains to be done, but readers will find here an important basis for discussion of a crucial issue in contemporary biblical theology and political thought." - Marvin A. Sweeney, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University "Cohen and Westbrook have gathered together a galaxy of important scholars to reassess Isaiah s statement. As with their earlier successful volume on Amarna Diplomacy, the scholars represent both specialists in Bible and ancient history and political scientists, and they look at Isaiah both within the history of ancient Israel and the broader ancient Near East and in light of contemporary international relations and the scholarship on it. The discussions are well-informed and wide-ranging, and underlying their diverse perspectives is the conviction that Isaiah was not a fantasizer, but a prophet rooted in the hard politics and cultural traditions of his day, whose prophecy is as valuable for its insight into these politics and traditions as it remains challenging to contemporary quests for a more stable international order. A most provocative and timely volume, and one highly recommended." - Peter Machinist, Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages, Harvard University