This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2008)

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (December 2011)

Isaiah
Prophet Isaiah; illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (c. 1904)
Prophet
Born	8th Century B.C. Judah (?)
Died	7th Century B.C.
Honored in	Judaism Roman Catholic Church Eastern Catholic Churches Eastern Orthodox Church Lutheranism Islam[1] Armenian Apostolic Church
Feast	May 9 [2]

Isaiah ( /aɪˈzeɪ.ə/ or UK /aɪˈzaɪ.ə/;^[2] Hebrew: יְשַׁעְיָהוּ, Modern Yeshayahu Tiberian Yəšạʻyā́hû ; Greek: Ἠσαΐας, Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation"^[3]) was a prophet who lived in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.^[4][5] Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed (although not the earliest) of the neviim akharonim, the latter prophets.^[6]

Biography[link]

This section improperly uses one or more religious texts as primary sources without referring to secondary sources that critically analyze them. Please help improve this article by adding references to reliable secondary sources, with multiple points of view.

Russian icon of the Prophet Isaiah, 18th century (iconostasis of Transfiguration Church, Kizhi monastery, Karelia, Russia).

Isaiah is not mentioned anywhere outside of the Bible^[7]. It is stated in the first verse of the Book of Isaiah that he prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah (or Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah (Isaiah 1:1). Uzziah reigned fifty-two years in the middle of the 8th century BC, and Isaiah must have begun his career a few years before Uzziah's death, probably in the 740s BC. Isaiah lived until the fourteenth year of Hezekiah (who died 698 BC), and may have been contemporary for some years with Manasseh. Thus Isaiah may have prophesied for as long as sixty-four years.

Isaiah's wife was called "the prophetess" (Isaiah 8:3), either because she was endowed with the prophetic gift, like Deborah (Judges 4:4) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14-20), or simply because she was the wife of "the prophet" (Isaiah 38:1). The second interpretation, that it was simply an honorary title, "Mrs. Prophet" as it were, is likely.^[8] They had two sons, naming one Shear-Jashub, meaning "A remnant shall return"Isaiah 7:3 and the younger, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, meaning, "Spoil quickly, plunder speedily."Isaiah 8:3

In early youth, Isaiah may have been moved by the invasion of Israel by the Assyrian monarch Tiglath-Pileser III (2 Kings 15:19); and again, twenty years later, when he had already entered on his office, by the invasion of Tiglath-Pileser and his career of conquest. Ahaz, king of Judah, at this crisis refused to co-operate with the kings of Israel and Syria in opposition to the Assyrians, and was on that account attacked and defeated by Rezin of Damascus and Pekah of Israel (2 Kings 16:5; 2 Chronicles 28:5–6). Ahaz, thus humbled, sided with Assyria, and sought the aid of Tiglath-Pileser against Israel and Syria. The consequence was that Rezin and Pekah were conquered and many of the people carried captive to Assyria (2 Kings 15:29, 16:9; 1 Chronicles 5:26).

Isaiah receives his vision of the Lord's house. A stained glass window at St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charleston, SC

Isaiah, by Michelangelo, (c. 1508-1512, Sistine Chapel ceiling, Vatican City).

Soon after this Shalmaneser V determined wholly to subdue the kingdom of Israel, Samaria was taken and destroyed (722 BC). So long as Ahaz reigned, the kingdom of Judah was unmolested by the Assyrian power; but on his accession to the throne, Hezekiah, who was encouraged to rebel "against the king of Assyria" (2 Kings 18:7), entered into an alliance with the king of Egypt (Isaiah 30:2–4). This led the king of Assyria to threaten the king of Judah, and at length to invade the land. Sennacherib (701 BC) led a powerful army into Judah. Hezekiah was reduced to despair, and submitted to the Assyrians (2 Kings 18:14–16). But after a brief interval war broke out again, and again Sennacherib led an army into Judah, one detachment of which threatened Jerusalem (Isaiah 36:2–22; 37:8). Isaiah on that occasion encouraged Hezekiah to resist the Assyrians (37:1–7), whereupon Sennacherib sent a threatening letter to Hezekiah, which he "spread before the LORD" (37:14).

According to the account in Kings (and its derivative account in Chronicles) the judgment of God now fell on the Assyrian army and wiped out 180,000 of its men. "Like Xerxes in Greece, Sennacherib never recovered from the shock of the disaster in Judah. He made no more expeditions against either southern Palestine or Egypt."^[9]

The remaining years of Hezekiah's reign were peaceful (2 Chr 32:23–29). Isaiah probably lived to its close, and possibly into the reign of Manasseh, but the time and manner of his death are not specified in either the Bible or recorded history. There is a tradition (reported in both the Martyrdom of Isaiah and the Lives of the Prophets) that he suffered martyrdom by Manasseh due to pagan reaction.

In Christianity[link]

Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395), believed that the Prophet Esaias (Isaiah) "knew more perfectly than all others the mystery of the religion of the Gospel." Jerome (c. 342–420) also lauds the Prophet Esias, saying, "He was more of an Evangelist than a Prophet, because he described all of the Mysteries of the Church of Christ so vividly that you would assume he was not prophesying about the future, but rather was composing a history of past events."^[10]

In Islam[link]

Although Isaiah is not mentioned by name in the Qur'an or in the authenticated sayings of Prophet Muhammed, some Muslim sources have accepted him as a prophet.^[11] Some Muslim scholars, such as Ibn Kathir and Kisa'i, reproduced Jewish traditions, transmitted through early Jewish converts to Islam, regarding Isaiah. Such Old Testament stories, which are not confirmed by the Quran or prophetic hadeeth, are referred to as Isra'iliyyah, and are not considered strong enough to be used as evidence in Islamic law. Isaiah is mentioned as a prophet in Ibn kathir's Stories of the Prophets and the modern writers Muhammad Asad and Abdullah Yusuf Ali^[12] accepted Isaiah as a true Hebrew prophet, who preached to the Israelites following the death of King David. Isaiah is well known in Muslim exegesis and literature, notably for his predictions of the coming of Jesus and Muhammad.^[13] Isaiah's narrative in Muslim literature can roughly be divided into three sections. The first part establishes Isaiah as a prophet of Israel during the reign of Hezekiah; the second part focuses on Isaiah's actions during the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib; and the third part is primarily focused upon Isaiah warning the people of coming doom.^[14]

Muslim exegesis preserves a tradition, which parallels that of the Hebrew Bible, which states that Hezekiah was the king that ruled over Jerusalem during Isaiah's time. Hezekiah obeyed and gave an ear to what Isaiah advised him but, nonetheless, this was a turbulent time for Israel.^[15] Tradition, however, maintains that Hezekiah was a righteous man and that the turbulence increased after Hezekiah's death. After the death of the king, Isaiah told the people to not forsake God and he warned Israel that the people must cease from their persistent sin and acts of disobedience. Muslim tradition maintains that the unrighteous people of Israel were angered and sought to kill Isaiah.^[15] In a death which resembles that attributed to Isaiah in Lives of the Prophets, Muslim exegesis recounts that Isaiah was martyred by Israelites by being sawed in half.^[15]

Rabbinic literature[link]

According to the Rabbinic literature, Isaiah was a descendant of the imperial house of Judah and Tamar (Sotah 10b). He was the son of Amoz (not to be confused with Prophet Amos), who was the brother of King Amaziah of Juda. (Talmud tractate Megillah 15a).^[16]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Church, Brooke Peters (1953). The Private Lives of the Prophets and the Times in Which They Lived. New York: Rinehart. 
• Cohon, Beryl D. (1939). The Prophets: Their Personalities and Teachings. New York: Scribner. 
• Herbert, Arthur Sumner (1975). The book of the prophet Isaiah : Commentary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-08624-8. 
• Herbert, Arthur Sumner (1975). The book of the Prophet Isaiah, chapters 40-66. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-20721-5. 
• Kraeling, Emil G. (1969). The Prophets. Chicago: Rand McNally. 
• Miscall, Peter D. (1993). Isaiah. Sheffield, England: JSOT Press. ISBN 1-85075-435-7. 
• Quinn-Miscall, Peter D. (2001). Reading Isaiah : poetry and vision. Louisville: Westminster Press. ISBN 0-664-22369-9. 
• Phillips, J.B. (1963). Four Prophets, Amos, Hosea, First Isaiah, Micha: A Modern Translation from the Hebrew. New York: Macmillan. 
• Sawyer, John F.A. (1996). The fifth gospel : Isaiah in the history of Christianity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-44007-6. 
• Scott, R.B.Y. (1968). The Relevance of the Prophets. Macmillan: London. 
• Smith, J.M. Powis (1941). The Prophets and Their Times. Chicago: University of Chicago. 

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Isaiah

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Isaiah

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Isaiah

• Sermons on Isaiah
• From Faith to Faith, Chapter IV - Prophecy (A study of Isaiah of Jerusalem)
• Isaiah (Isaias) at the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Avraham Gileadi's new translation and commentary on Isaiah
• Prophet Isaiah Orthodox icon and synaxarion

This article incorporates text from Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), a publication now in the public domain.

Isaiah Thomas
oil on canvas by Ethan Allen Greenwood in 1818 (American Antiquarian Society)
Born	January 30, 1749 Boston, Massachusetts
Died	April 4, 1831
Signature

Isaiah Thomas (January 30, 1749 – April 4, 1831), was an American newspaper publisher and author. He performed the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Worcester, Massachusetts, and reported the first account of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. He was the founder of the American Antiquarian Society.

Biography[link]

Early life and career[link]

Thomas was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was apprenticed on July 7, 1756 to Zechariah Fowle, a Boston printer, with whom, after working as a printer in Halifax, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Charleston, South Carolina, he formed a partnership in 1770.^[1]

[edit] The Massachusetts Spy

Masthead of July 7, 1774 issue

The partnership was formed to publish the Massachusetts Spy, and lasted for three months, after which Thomas continued publication alone. For the paper's motto, he chose “Open to all parties, but influenced by none.”^[2] Initially it came out three times each week, then (under his sole ownership) as a semi-weekly, and beginning in 1771, as a weekly. The paper soon espoused the Whig cause and was the object of government efforts to suppress it.^[3] In 1771 Gov. Thomas Hutchinson ordered the attorney general to prosecute Thomas, but the grand jury failed to find cause for indictment.^[2]

In Boston, in 1774, Thomas published the Royal American Magazine, which was continued for a short time by Joseph Greenleaf, and which contained many engravings by Paul Revere.^[3]

Escape to Worcester[link]

Wary of the Tories' growing resentment of the independence of the Spy, on April 16, 1775 (three days before the Battle of Concord, in which he took part), Thomas took his presses from Boston and set them up in Worcester. His other property was destroyed.^[2] In Worcester, he published and sold books, built a paper mill and bindery, and continued the paper until 1802 save for gaps in 1776-1778 and in 1786-1788. The Spy supported George Washington and the Federalist Party. He was also postmaster for a time.

Thomas Married Mary Fowle, described as a "half-cousin", on May 26, 1779.^[4] Around 1802, Thomas gave his Worcester business over to his son, including the control of the Spy.^[3]

Later life[link]

From 1775 until 1803, Thomas published the New England Almanac, continued until 1819 by his son, Isaiah Thomas, Jr. It had something of the flavor of Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac.^[2] In 1786 he procured from Europe the first font of music type that was brought to the United States, and he was the first printer in the U.S. to use such type. He was engaged at Walpole, New Hampshire, in book publishing and printing the Farmer's Museum, and in 1788 opened a bookstore in Boston under the firm name of Thomas and Andrews, also establishing branches of his publishing business in several parts of the United States. The monthly Massachusetts Magazine was published by the firm, with Ebenezer T. Andrews, in eight volumes, from 1789 until 1796. At Worcester he printed a folio edition of the Bible in 1791, Watts' Psalms and Hymns, and most of the Bibles and school books that were used in the U.S. at that date.^[2][3]

His ambition throughout his life was to write an extensive book on the history of publishing. He began what would become History of Printing in America in 1808.^[5] Fully titled History of Printing in America, with a Biography of Printers, and an Account of Newspapers, it was published in two volumes in 1810. A second edition, published in 1874, was prepared by his grandson Benjamin Franklin Thomas and included a catalog of American publications previous to 1776 and a memoir of Isaiah Thomas.

In November 1812, Thomas founded the American Society of Antiquaries, now known as the American Antiquarian Society, partly to take care of the extensive library he had accumulated in preparing his history of publishing. At its first meeting, Thomas was elected president, a role he held until his death.^[5] In addition to nearly 8,000 volumes from his collection, he gave to its library tracts, and one of the most valuable files of newspapers in the country, and he presented land and a hall, with a provision equal to $24,000 for its maintenance.^[2]

Thomas spent his final days in Worcester. Upon his death in 1831, he bequeathed his entire library, his collection of early American newspapers, as well as his personal papers and records to the American Antiquarian Society.^[5]

Legacy[link]

Thomas's grandson B. F. Thomas noted his grandfather's importance in founding the American Antiquarian Society. "He saw and understood, no man better, from what infinitely varied and minute sources the history of a nation's life was to be drawn; that the only safe rule was to gather up all the fragments so that nothing be lost."^[6] In 1943, Publishers Weekly created the Carey-Thomas Award for creative publishing, naming it honor of Mathew Carey and Isaiah Thomas.^[7]

Quotation[link]

"But, to my great disappointment, I soon found that people were not to be reasoned out of measures, that they never reasoned themselves into." Worcester Magazine, v. 3, p. 46. 1787.

References[link]

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Thomas, Isaiah". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links[link]

• "ISAIAH THOMAS (1749-183l)", University of Delaware Special Collections
• A Brief History of the American Antiquarian Society
• WorldCat
• Isaiah Thomas: Find A Grave Memorial
• Media related to Isaiah Thomas at Wikimedia Commons

Jamal Crawford

Crawford during the 2009-2010 season
No. 11 – Portland Trail Blazers
Guard
Personal information
Born	(1980-03-20) March 20, 1980 (age 32) Seattle, Washington
Nationality	American
High school	Rainier Beach (Seattle)
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
College	Michigan (1999–2000)
NBA Draft	2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Pro career	2000–present
Career history
2000–2004	Chicago Bulls
2004–2008	New York Knicks
2008–2009	Golden State Warriors
2009–2011	Atlanta Hawks
2011–present	Portland Trail Blazers
Career highlights and awards
NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2010) Holds records for most 4-point plays in career, game and quarter
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Crawford with the Knicks

Jamal Crawford (born March 20, 1980 in Seattle, Washington) is an American professional basketball player who plays with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Crawford stands at 6'5" and weighs 200 lb (91 kg). Crawford played his high school basketball for Rainier Beach High School a basketball powerhouse in Seattle, before committing to play for the University of Michigan. Crawford was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers but was traded on draft day to the Chicago Bulls, in his career he has also played for the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks.

High school and college[link]

Crawford attended Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, where his number (23) is retired. At Rainier Beach, Crawford was a standout player who led the Rainier Beach Vikings to victory in the 1998 WIAA State Championship. Rainier Beach High School is also where fellow NBA and NCAA basketball players Doug Christie, Nate Robinson, Terrence Williams, and C.J. Giles attended. After high school, Crawford attended the University of Michigan, where he was given a six-game suspension by the NCAA for violating rules on amateurism and extra benefits received by Seattle businessman Barry Henthorn. The university had been plagued by scandals such as this one, most notably the Ed Martin scandal. Crawford served his suspension and ended up averaging 16.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals as a starter for the Wolverines. He then declared eligible for the 2000 NBA draft.^[1][2]

Professional career[link]

Chicago Bulls

Crawford was drafted in 2000 as a freshman by the Cleveland Cavaliers but was traded on draft day to the Chicago Bulls for their pick, Chris Mihm. In his rookie year Crawford started in 8 of the Bulls' 82 regular season games. In his rookie year Crawford struggled with his shot, shooting just 35.2 % from the field. Despite his low shooting percentage, Crawford scored in double digits 10 times and ended the season averaging 4.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists. In his 2nd NBA season, Crawford played in only 23 games due to injury, starting in 8 of these games. Though limited by injury, in this season he improved in nearly every statistical category, averaging 9.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists. In his third year with the Bulls, Crawford played in 80 games, starting in 31. Crawford became a major component of Bill Cartwright's offense, and continued to improve statistically, averaging 10.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.2 rebounds and 1 steal per game. The Bulls missed the playoffs with a record of 30-52. Crawford's fourth year in Chicago was his last. In the season Crawford averaged 17.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.4 assists. During the season Crawford became the starting shooting guard for the Bulls. Crawford had his best game as a Bull, scoring 50 points and drilling 6-11 three pointers, vs. the Toronto Raptors on April 11, 2004. The Bulls finished at 23-59 in what was Scottie Pippen's last year in the NBA. Prior to the 2004–05 season (after four seasons in Chicago), Crawford was traded, along with Jerome Williams, to the Knicks for Dikembe Mutombo, Othella Harrington, Frank Williams and Cezary Trybanski.

New York Knicks

Crawford joined another young rebuilding team in the Knicks. Crawford started in 67 games for the Knicks, averaging 17.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals. Crawford had many games in which he scored over 20 points, most noticeably a 41 point effort in which he made 17-25 shots against the Charlotte Bobcats on December 4, 2004. The Knicks failed to qualify for the playoffs. Crawford in his second year in New York took a reduced sixth man role under head coach Larry Brown. In the role he averaged 14.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists. The Knicks failed to make the playoffs with at 23-59. For the 2006-2007 season the Knicks went a new direction, hiring Isiah Thomas to be the new head coach. He became the 4th head coach for the Knicks in 3 years. Crawford only played in 59 games due to injury but averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. In 2007-2008 Crawford averaged 20.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Crawford provided one of the few bright spots for the 23-59 Knicks on January 26, 2007, when he scored a career high 52 points, hitting 16 shots in a row at one point. He hit 8 straight three pointers, one short of the team record set by Latrell Sprewell in 2002.^[3] In 2008-2009 Crawford only played in 11 games for the Knicks before being traded to the Golden State Warriors for Al Harrington.

Golden State Warriors

Crawford with the Warriors

Crawford was a good fit in Don Nelson's run-and-gun offense because of his three point shooting, ball handling and quickness. Crawford played in 54 games for the Warriors, starting in all of them. There he averaged a near 20 points a game, with 1.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists. On December 20, 2008, Crawford scored 50 points vs the Charlotte Bobcats in a 110–103 victory for the Golden State Warriors. He became the fourth player in NBA history (after Wilt Chamberlain, Bernard King and Moses Malone) to score 50 points or more with 3 different teams, doing so with the Bulls, the Knicks, and the Warriors. The Warriors did not qualify for the playoffs. They traded Crawford to the Atlanta Hawks for guards Acie Law and Speedy Claxton.^[4]

Atlanta Hawks

When Crawford joined the Atlanta Hawks in 2009, the team had made the playoffs the last two seasons. On January 15, 2010 Crawford hit the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer for the Hawks in a game against the Phoenix Suns; the Hawks won 102-101.^[5] On February 5, 2010, Crawford set an NBA record by surpassing Reggie Miller and completing his 24th career four-point play.^[6] Crawford averaged 18.0 points 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists off the bench, backing up All-Star guard Joe Johnson, and Mike Bibby. Crawford was a leading candidate for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award and eventually won. The Hawks, led by Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Mike Bibby and Crawford, qualified for the playoffs. The clinching turned out to be Crawford's first trip to the playoffs; Crawford had the record for longest tenured player without playing in a playoff game.^[7] Crawford and the Hawks advanced past the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games. Crawford led all scorers with 22 in the decisive game seven. The Hawks were eventually swept by the Orlando Magic. In his second season in Atlanta, the Hawks fired coach Mike Woodson and hired Larry Drew. Crawford regressed from his 2009-2010 season but still had a solid season off the bench, averaging 14.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Crawford was considered for the Sixth Man of the Year Award but lost to Lamar Odom. The Hawks made it to the playoffs once again, this time as the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks defeated the Orlando Magic but were defeated in six games by the Chicago Bulls.

Portland Trail Blazers

On December 15, 2011, Crawford signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.^[8]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]