St. Isaiah the Prophet

During the reign of King Manasses, the holy prophet was put to death in Jerusalem by being sawn in two and was buried beneath the oak of Rogel, running near a stream.  The first verse of the Book of Isaiah states that Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah (or Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah (Isaiah 1:1). Uzziah's reign was 52 years in the middle of the 8th century BC, and Isaiah must have begun his ministry a few years before Uzziah's death, probably in the 740s BC. Isaiah lived until the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's reign (who died 698 BCE) who was succeeded by Manasseh. Thus Isaiah may have prophesied for as long as 64 years. His death is reported in the Talmud. The Talmud [Yevamot 49b] says that he suffered martyrdom by being sawn in two under the orders of Manasseh. According to rabbinic literature, Isaiah was the maternal grandfather of Manasseh. The Church remembers him on July 6.