The Way to Zion in Isaiah 40-55: Beyond New Exodus or Metaphor

The new exodus is an enduring subject of dispute in Deutero-Isaiah research. For the last five decades scholars have raised arguments both for and against the presence of a so-called new exodus paradigm, debating the extent to which the exodus tradition influenced depictions of the homecoming of the exiles in Isaiah 40-55. In this thesis I concur that the new exodus is a significant paradigm in Isa 40-55, but I go on to argue that a creative transformation of the new exodus ensues in the course of reading Deutero-Isaiah. My study focuses on some unique traits of the homecoming theme in Isaiah 40-55 and sets out to demonstrate that the depiction of the homecoming in these chapters undergoes a significant shift from a new exodus to a pilgrimage paradigm. In the texts I examine, one encounters distinct journey types that are differently oriented and register separate horizons of experience shared by the audience. In the case of the pilgrimage paradigm, such characteristic features include an emphasis on arrival at a specific holy site, an atmosphere of worship, and the travellers’ purification and inner transformation in approaching the divine presence. Some of the texts I will consider have been linked to a distinct compositional stage, the Great Isaiah redaction, understood to have imposed greater coherence to the larger Isaiah book through the addition of homecoming texts. This redactional view grounds the significance of some of the texts I consider within a larger editorial design rather than within the Deutero-Isaiah context. Withholding a dismissive attitude towards undeniable indications of distinct compositional stages, I nevertheless take a different approach. In the course of the study, I ascertain that the pilgrimage paradigm can be understood as a development of the literary context, bringing further expression to the themes of Zion’s restoration and doxological renewal announced throughout Isa 40-55. I further argue for the significance of this pilgrimage paradigm to other issues of Isaiah interpretation including the placement of the fourth servant song and the role of servant-Israel among the nations.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD