How did Isaiah die?

Answer

The Bible does not reveal how the prophet Isaiah died, but Hebrews 11 may provide a clue. This chapter, often known as the “hall of faith,” lists numerous Old Testament heroes of faith, including several unidentified martyrs and persecuted saints. Hebrews 11:37 mentions, “Some were stoned, some sawed in half, and others killed by the sword” (NLT). According to certain extrabiblical sources, one of those unnamed individuals sawed in half was the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah, whose name means “the Lord is salvation,” is the skilled writer of the book of Isaiah. His prophetic ministry, spanning 55 to 60 years, offered hope of salvation to the people of Judah during the reigns of Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Ancient Jewish-Christian tradition indicates that Isaiah was martyred by King Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son. According to this tradition, Isaiah was tied in a sack, placed in the hollow of a tree trunk, and then sawed in two. This account originates from a noncanonical book from the first century called the Ascension of Isaiah, which purports to narrate Isaiah’s death.

As per the narrative in the Ascension of Isaiah, Isaiah predicts that King Hezekiah’s evil son, Manasseh, will torment and kill him, rejecting Hezekiah’s teachings. Following Hezekiah’s demise, King Manasseh turns to serving Satan, prompting Isaiah to flee to the mountains of Bethlehem with Ananias, Joel, Habakkuk, and other faithful servants of God. Belchira, acting as an intermediary between Satan and the worldly ungodly, accuses Isaiah of inciting rebellion against Manasseh. Driven by Satan, Belchira despises Isaiah for his significant prophecies about salvation through the future Messiah. Manasseh orders Isaiah’s arrest and has him sawn in half.

The tale found in the Ascension of Isaiah emphasizes the persecution and martyrdom of the prophet Isaiah.Influenced other early Jewish and Christian writings. According to the Talmud, a collection of Jewish texts that record the oral tradition of the early rabbis, Isaiah hid inside a cedar tree and then was sawed in two by King Manasseh.

Tertullian and early Christian apologist Justin Martyr both mentioned the legend of Isaiah’s death in their writings, with Justin Martyr specifying that the saw used to execute Isaiah was made of wood (Dialogue with Trypho, 120). Bible scholar and philosopher Origen of Alexandria also upheld this traditional view of Isaiah’s death in his writings and offered various justifications for it.

While it’s certainly possible that Isaiah, the exquisitely faithful prince of prophets, died as the ancient legend specifies, there is no way to know for sure. The Bible does not give us any evidence that Isaiah lived into the reign of King Manasseh, nor does it tell us what year Isaiah died or how he died.