Abstract
Analogies exist between psychological problems faced by contemporary populations of displaced persons (e.g., refugees) and those exiled by the Babylonian empire after the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. The second-generation survivors of the Babylonian deportations inherited a shaming identity as defeated Israel, rejected by God. This traumatizing story was conveyed and reinforced by liturgies of lament. At the same time, the failure of Israel's laments to effect change led to a perception of unanswered prayer by a powerless or absent deity which further demoralized them. Their discouragement produced symptoms of the psychological harm called learned helplessness. The approach of the prophet who composed the poems and oracles found in Isaiah 40—55 is similar to some contemporary therapies. Through various genres of poetry, the Second Isaiah counseled the exiles to reframe their pessimism about Israel, YHWH, and their future.
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