A History of Western Philosophy: And Its Connection with Political and Social Circumstances from the Earliest Times to the Present Day

by Bertrand Russell

In Christian arguments with both pagans and Jews, these texts from Deutero-Isaiah played a very important part, and for this reason I shall quote the most important of them. All nations are to be converted in the end: “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Is. II, 4). “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”VIII (As to this text, there was a controversy between Jews and Christians; the Jews said that the correct translation is “a young woman shall conceive,” but the Christians thought the Jews were lying.)