Work Page
The Ascension of Isaiah
Editorial Summary
The Ascension of Isaiah is an ancient Jewish/Christian apocryphal and pseudepigraphal text describing the martyrdom of the prophet Isaiah and his ascent through the seven heavens. R. H. Charles produced the standard English scholarly translation and critical edition in 1900 (A. and C. Black, London), drawing on the Ethiopic version together with a Greek fragment, Latin versions, and a Latin translation of the Slavonic, with extensive introduction, notes, and indices.
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Why This Book Is in the Directory
The ancient text's ascent-through-the-seven-heavens narrative centrally involves angelic beings — a direct-scope entry anchored to R. H. Charles's own verified 1900 English translation and critical edition.
Historical Context
Published in 1900, the Ascension of Isaiah reached English readers through Charles's critical edition at a moment when biblical scholars were applying newly rigorous textual-critical methods to apocryphal and pseudepigraphal literature. The edition reflects the comparative, manuscript-based scholarship on Second Temple and early Christian writings that was flourishing in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
What the Author Presents
Charles applies the textual-critical methods of his era, comparing Ethiopic, Greek, Latin, and Slavonic witnesses to reconstruct and translate a composite ancient text. His approach is academic and critical-scholarly, treating the work as a composite text whose compositional history is a matter of ongoing scholarly discussion rather than settled fact.
Intended Reader
Best suited for readers studying Second Temple and early Christian apocryphal/pseudepigraphal literature, angelology and heavenly-ascent traditions, and the history of biblical scholarship. Less suitable for readers seeking a devotional treatment or a general-audience introduction without background in comparative textual scholarship.
Strengths and Limitations
Charles's 1900 translation remains the standard English-language scholarly reference point for this text, evidenced by sustained modern reprint interest across more than a century. Because it predates a great deal of subsequent Second Temple and apocalyptic literature scholarship, individual critical judgments (dating, provenance, compositional unity) should be checked against current research. Its continued value lies in making a genuinely important ancient text and its critical apparatus accessible in English.
Edition Disclosure
This directory entry is anchored to R. H. Charles's 1900 English translation and critical edition of the Ascension of Isaiah (A. and C. Black, London). The Amazon purchase link below leads to a modern (2021) reprint reproducing Charles's own translation in full, not an original 1900 physical copy. A separate 2022 reprint of the same translation is also available.
Purchase
View a purchasable edition on AmazonBook Facts
| Author | R. H. Charles |
|---|---|
| Qualifying year | 1900 |
| Manifestation type | Translation and critical edition |
| Language | English |
| Modern Amazon availability | Verified — owner-confirmed |
| ASIN | 1014628873 |