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Entering into a longstanding debate in Isaiah research on 'way' language in chapters 40-55 comes The Way to Zion in Isaiah 40-55. This discussion concerns whether the 'way' is best understood as a new exodus of the exiles from Babylon or instead as a metaphor signifying the transformation of Jerusalem from a place of judgement to a place of redemption.
Caleb Gundlach's study contributes to this debate by arguing that the pilgrimage to Zion becomes a prevalent aspect of the 'way' theme in Isaiah 40-55 and influences how the homecoming is envisioned in these chapters. Firstly, it lays out criteria for recognizing the pilgrimage to Zion as the predominant journey type in Isaiah 49-55. It then explores the relationship of this pilgrimage journey to the major theme of Zion's restoration within Isaiah 40-55, a theme also emphasized by metaphorical interpretations of the 'way'.
Resituating the homecoming material within the perspective of pilgrimage to Zion sheds light on other interpretive debates on Isaiah 40-55, including:
- the Babylonian or Judahite provenance for the text;
- emphasis on either the text's compositional stages or its thematic coherence;
- thematic tensions, such as between Zion's restoration and the Servant's mission to the nations.
Reconsidering Isaiah's 'way' imagery under the paradigm of the pilgrimage to Zion provides new avenues for negotiating these issues and takes a further step towards understanding how Isaiah 40-55 coheres as a meaningful and complex unity.
About the author
Caleb Gundlach serves as an Adjunct Instructor at Gannon University in Erie, Philadelphia.
