Arabic
Version of Josephus’ Antiquities 18.63
Arabic
summary, presumably of Antiquities 18.63. From Agapios' Kitab
al-'Unwan ("Book of the Title," 10th c.). The translation belongs to Shlomo Pines. See also James H. Charlesworth, Jesus Within Judaism.
Similarly Josephus
the Hebrew. For he says in the treatises that he has written on the governance
of the Jews: At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus.
And his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous. And many people
from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate
condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his
disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had
appeared to themafter his crucifixion and that he was alive;
accordingly, he was perhaps the Messiah concerning whom the prophets
have recounted wonders.
@@@
Josephus,
Antiquities 20.9.1
Since Ananus was
that kind of person, and because he perceived an opportunity with Festus having
died and Albinus not yet arrived, he called a meeting of the Sanhedrin and
brought James, the brother of Jesus (who is called 'Messiah') along with some
others. He accused them of transgressing the law, and handed them over for
stoning.
@@@
Celsus tract against Jesus 2nd
Cent.
Jesus had come from a village in Judea, and
was the son of a poor Jewess who gained her living by the work of her own
hands. His mother had been turned out of doors by her husband, who was a
carpenter by trade, on being convicted of adultery [with a soldier named
Panthéra (i.32)]. Being thus driven away by her husband, and wandering about in
disgrace, she gave birth to Jesus, a bastard. Jesus, on account of his poverty,
was hired out to go to Egypt. While there he acquired certain (magical) powers
which Egyptians pride themselves on possessing. He returned home highly elated
at possessing these powers, and on the strength of them gave himself out to be
a god. @@@
Tertullian Mocks Jewish 'Slanders' (Tertullian's summary of Jewish response to the gospel accounts.) |
Tertullian wrote this passage late in the 2nd century, CE. In the context he is imagining himself, after Jesus' triumphant return, mocking the now damned Jews for their perversions of of the truth about Jesus (from his point of view). Much of what he accuses the Jews of saying/doing is straight out of the canonical gospels, but some, especially the last phrase, seems to reflect some of the traditions that will later be brought together in the Toldoth Yeshu. [AH]
Tertullian, De Spetaculis
100.30
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This is your carpenter's son, your harlot's son;[1] your Sabbath-breaker, your Samaritan[2], your demon-possessed! This is he whom you bought from Judas. This is he who was struck with reeds and fists, dishonored with spittle, and given a draught of gall and vinegar! This is he whom his disciples have stolen secretly, that it may be said, 'He has risen', or the gardener abstracted that his lettuces might not be damaged by the crowds of visitors![3]
- - - - - Footnotes - - - - -
[1] The 'harlot's son' accusation is doubtless a commonplace. It is directly connected with Christian claims of virgin birth, but there is something of a chicken-egg problem. It is easy to imagine such a rebuttal to Christian claims, but it is also quite conceivable that the Christian version is a response to Jewish slanders about his origins. I am inclined toward the former explanation, but arguments can be made for either.
[2] Samaritan.
Thanks to Mike Sassanian for reminding me of John 8:48 where Jesus is called a
Samaritan and accused of being demon posessed.
[3]
Presumably, in this version a gardener who grows cabbages near the grounds of
the sepulcher is irritated by the large numbers of disciples who are trampling
his crops when they come to visit the tomb. He solves the problem by moving the
body, which gives rise to Christian claims of resurrection. The gardener
parallel to the Toledoth tradition is clear enough, although not
identical, particularly in motive. What is interesting is the peculiar detail
of the cabbage. I am not aware of the Toledoth stories mentioning
this, but they do often have Jesus being crucified on a cabbage. While the
context is different, the wild improbability of the recurring vegetable seems
too peculiar to be coincidence. There may also be a connection between this
gardener and the story in John 20.14-16 where Mary Magdalene, on seeing the
resurrected Jesus, fails to recognize him, taking him to be the gardener.
Toldot Yeshu – an amazing re-writing of the life of Christ by the Jewish Community in response to Christianity, however remember that this dates from the 6th Cent AD not the 1st Cent AD like the books in the NT. (If the Toldot Yeshu is to be believed Jesus was a powerful magician / sorcerer instead of the Messiah, as he claimed) |
This is a derogatory version of the life of Jesus, growing out of the response of the Jewish community to Christianity. The tradition presented here is most commonly dated to approximately the 6th century CE. The text it self is closer to the 14th c. There is no scholarly consensus on to what extent the text might be a direct parody of a now lost gospel. H.J. Schonfield argued that it was so closely connected to the Gospel of the Hebrews that he attempted to reconstruct that lost work from theText from Goldstein, Jesus in the Jewish Tradition, pp. 148-154. Most of the notes are mine, but they are clearly marked ([G] = Goldstein, [AH] = me)Toldot. There is not just one version of the story, and I have not found Goldstein vorlage on line, but there seems to be a version in Hebrew here. |
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In the year 3671[1] in the
days of King Jannaeus, a great misfortune befell Israel, when there arose a
certain disreputable man of the tribe of Judah, whose name was Joseph
Pandera. He lived at Bethlehem, in Judah. Near his house dwelt a widow and her lovely and chaste daughter named Miriam. Miriam was betrothed to Yohanan, of the royal house of David, a man learned in the Torah and God-fearing. At the close of a certain Sabbath, Joseph Pandera, attractive and like a warrior in appearance, having gazed lustfully upon Miriam, knocked upon the door of her room and betrayed her by pretending that he was her betrothed husband, Yohanan. Even so, she was amazed at this improper conduct and submitted only against her will. Thereafter, when Yohanan came to her, Miriam expressed astonishment at behavior so foreign to his character. It was thus that they both came to know the crime of Joseph Pandera and the terrible mistake on the part of Miriam. Whereupon Yohanan went to Rabban Shimeon ben Shetah and related to him the tragic seduction. Lacking witnesses required for the punishment of Joseph Pandera, and Miriam being with child, Yohanan left for Babylonia.[2] Miriam gave birth to a son and named him Yehoshua, after her brother. This name later deteriorated to Yeshu. On the eighth day he was circumcised. When he was old enough the lad was taken by Miriam to the house of study to be instructed in the Jewish tradition. One day Yeshu walked in front of the Sages with his head uncovered, showing shameful disrespect. At this, the discussion arose as to whether this behavior did not truly indicate that Yeshu was an illegitimate child and the son of a niddah[3]. Moreover, the story tells that while the rabbis were discussing the Tractate Nezikin, he gave his own impudent interpretation of the law and in an ensuing debate he held that Moses could not be the greatest of the prophets if he had to receive counsel from Jethro. This led to further inquiry as to the antecedents of Yeshu, and it was discovered through Rabban Shimeon ben Shetah that he was the illegitimate son of Joseph Pandera. Miriam admitted it.[4] After this became known, it was necessary for Yeshu to flee to Upper Galilee. After King Jannaeus, his wife Helene[5] ruled over all Israel. In the Temple was to be found the Foundation Stone on which were engraved the letters of God's Ineffable Name. Whoever learned the secret of the Name and its use would be able to do whatever he wished. Therefore, the Sages took measures so that no one should gain this knowledge. Lions of brass were bound to two iron pillars at the gate of the place of burnt offerings. Should anyone enter and learn the Name, when he left the lions would roar at him and immediately the valuable secret would be forgotten. Yeshu came and learned the letters of the Name; he wrote them upon the parchment which he placed in an open cut on his thigh and then drew the flesh over the parchment. As he left, the lions roared and he forgot the secret. But when he came to his house he reopened the cut in his flesh with a knife an lifted out the writing. Then he remembered and obtained the use of the letters.[6] He gathered about himself three hundred and ten young men of Israel and accused those who spoke ill of his birth of being people who desired greatness and power for themselves. Yeshu proclaimed, "I am the Messiah; and concerning me Isaiah prophesied and said, 'Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.'" He quoted other messianic texts, insisting, "David my ancestor prophesied concerning me: 'The Lord said to me, thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.'" The insurgents with him replied that if Yeshu was the Messiah he should give them a convincing sign. They therefore, brought to him a lame man, who had never walked. Yeshu spoke over the man the letters of the Ineffable Name, and the leper was healed. Thereupon, they worshipped him as the Messiah, Son of the Highest. When word of these happenings came to Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin decided to bring about the capture of Yeshu. They sent messengers, Annanui and Ahaziah, who, pretending to be his disciples, said that they brought him an invitation from the leaders of Jerusalem to visit them. Yeshu consented on condition the members of the Sanhedrin receive him as a lord. He started out toward Jerusalem and, arriving at Knob, acquired an ass on which he rode into Jerusalem, as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah. The Sages bound him and led him before Queen Helene, with the accusation: "This man is a sorcerer and entices everyone." Yeshu replied, "The prophets long ago prophesied my coming: 'And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse,' and I am he; but as for them, Scripture says 'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.'" Queen Helene asked the Sages: "What he says, is it in your Torah?" They replied: "It is in our Torah, but it is not applicable to him, for it is in Scripture: 'And that prophet which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.' He has not fulfilled the signs and conditions of the Messiah." Yeshu spoke up: "Madam, I am the Messiah and I revive the dead." A dead body was brought in; he pronounced the letters of the Ineffable Name and the corpse came to life. The Queen was greatly moved and said: "This is a true sign." She reprimanded the Sages and sent them humiliated from her presence. Yeshu's dissident followers increased and there was controversy in Israel. Yeshu went to Upper Galilee. the Sages came before the Queen, complaining that Yeshu practiced sorcery and was leading everyone astray. Therefore she sent Annanui and Ahaziah to fetch him. The found him in Upper Galilee, proclaiming himself the Son of God. When they tried to take him there was a struggle, but Yeshu said to the men of Upper Galilee: "Wage no battle." He would prove himself by the power which came to him from his Father in heaven. He spoke the Ineffable Name over the birds of clay and they flew into the air. He spoke the same letters over a millstone that had been placed upon the waters. He sat in it and it floated like a boat. When they saw this the people marveled. At the behest of Yeshu, the emissaries departed and reported these wonders to the Queen. She trembled with astonishment. Then the Sages selected a man named Judah Iskarioto and brought him to the Sanctuary where he learned the letters of the Ineffable Name as Yeshu had done. When Yeshu was summoned before the queen, this time there were present also the Sages and Judah Iskarioto. Yeshu said: "It is spoken of me, 'I will ascend into heaven.'" He lifted his arms like the wings of an eagle and he flew between heaven and earth, to the amazement of everyone. The elders asked Iskarioto to do likewise. He did, and flew toward heaven. Iskarioto attempted to force Yeshu down to earth but neither one of the two could prevail against the other for both had the use of the Ineffable Name. However, Iskarioto defiled Yeshu, so that they both lost their power and fell down to the earth, and in their condition of defilement the letters of the Ineffable Name escaped from them. Because of this deed of Judah they weep on the eve of the birth of Yeshu. Yeshu was seized. His head was covered with a garment and he was smitten with pomegranate staves; but he could do nothing, for he no longer had the Ineffable Name. Yeshu was taken prisoner to the synagogue of Tiberias, and they bound him to a pillar. To allay his thirst they gave him vinegar to drink. On his head they set a crown of thorns. There was strife and wrangling between the elders and the unrestrained followers of Yeshu, as a result of which the followers escaped with Yeshu to the region of Antioch[7]; there Yeshu remained until the eve of the Passover. [8] Yeshu then resolved to go the Temple to acquire again the secret of the Name. That year the Passover came on a Sabbath day. On the eve of the Passover, Yeshu, accompanied by his disciples, came to Jerusalem riding upon an ass. Many bowed down before him. He entered the Temple with his three hundred and ten followers. One of them, Judah Iskarioto[9] apprised the Sages that Yeshu was to be found in the Temple, that the disciples had taken a vow by the Ten Commandments not to reveal his identity but that he would point him out by bowing to him. So it was done and Yeshu was seized. Asked his name, he replied to the question by several times giving the names Mattai, Nakki, Buni, Netzer, each time with a verse quoted by him and a counter-verse by the Sages. Yeshu was put to death on the sixth hour on the eve of the Passover and of the Sabbath. When they tried to hang him on a tree it broke, for when he had possessed the power he had pronounced by the Ineffable Name that no tree should hold him. He had failed to pronounce the prohibition over the carob-stalk[10], for it was a plant more than a tree, and on it he was hanged until the hour for afternoon prayer, for it is written in Scripture, "His body shall not remain all night upon the tree." They buried him outside the city. On the first day of the week his bold followers came to Queen Helene with the report that he who was slain was truly the Messiah and that he was not in his grave; he had ascended to heaven as he prophesied. Diligent search was made and he was not found in the grave where he had been buried. A gardener had taken him from the grave and had brought him into his garden and buried him in the sand over which the waters flowed into the garden. Queen Helene demanded, on threat of a severe penalty, that the body of Yeshu be shown to her within a period of three days. There was a great distress. When the keeper of the garden saw Rabbi Tanhuma walking in the field and lamenting over the ultimatum of the Queen, the gardener related what he had done, in order that Yeshu's followers should not steal the body and then claim that he had ascended into heaven. The Sages removed the body, tied it to the tail of a horse and transported it to the Queen, with the words, "This is Yeshu who is said to have ascended to heaven." Realizing that Yeshu was a false prophet who enticed the people and led them astray, she mocked the followers but praised the Sages. The disciples went out among the nations--three went to the mountains of Ararat, three to Armenia, three to Rome and three to the kingdoms buy the sea, They deluded the people, but ultimately they were slain. The erring followers amongst Israel said: "You have slain the Messiah of the Lord." The Israelites answered: "You have believed in a false prophet." There was endless strife and discord for thirty years. The Sages desired to separate from Israel those who continued to claim Yeshu as the Messiah, and they called upon a greatly learned man, Simeon Kepha, for help. Simeon went to Antioch, main city of the Nazarenes and proclaimed toe them: "I am the disciple of Yeshu. He has sent me to show you the way. I will give you a sign as Yeshu has done." Simeon, having gained the secret of the Ineffable Name, healed a leper and a lame man by means of it and thus found acceptance as a true disciple. He told them that Yeshu was in heaven, at the right hand of his Father, in fulfillment of Psalm 110:1. He added that Yeshu desired that they separate themselves from the Jews and no longer follow their practices, as Isaiah had said, "Your new moons and your feasts my soul abhorreth." They were now to observe the first day of the week instead of the seventh, the Resurrection instead of the Passover, the Ascension into Heaven instead of the Feast of Weeks, the finding of the Cross instead of the New Year, the Feast of the Circumcision instead of the Day of Atonement, the New Year instead of Chanukah; they were to be indifferent with regard to circumcision and the dietary laws. Also they were to follow the teaching of turning the right if smitten on the left and the meek acceptance of suffering. All these new ordinances which Simeon Kepha (or Paul, as he was known to the Nazarenes) taught them were really meant to separate these Nazarenes from the people of Israel and to bring the internal strife to an end. |
----------footnotes---------------
[1] About 90, BC. [G]
[2] Some
traditions say 'Egypt'. [AH]
[3] Sexual
impurity (incest, adultery, prostitution, etc.). [AH]
[4] In one
version of this admission, she confesses that not only is Yeshu the product of
an illicit union, but she was ritually unclean from menstruation at the time as
well (Sexual contact even with a woman's husband is not lawful during, or, in
Rabbinic law, for some time after, menstruation). [AH]
[5] Salome
Alexandra. [G]
[6]
Consistent, apparently, with the general tenor of Jewish criticism of Jesus'
miracles going at least as far back as Celsus (2nd c.)
this tradition does not deny Jesus' ability to perform miracles, accusing him
instead of practicing magic. This version even accepts the divine origin of the
miracles, attributing them to his misuse of the divine name, with its inherent
powers. In the Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith is
accused of the same crime, using the power of the name to escape from the
Garden of Eden. [AH]
[7] Some
traditions say 'Egypt'. [G]
[8] In a
variation on the story, Judah is able to out-miracle Yeshu in the sign contest
without defiling him. Yeshu is discredited and arrested, and, as in this story,
his followers are able to break him free, but he still remembers the Ineffable
Name. He escapes to Egypt in hopes of learning Egyptian magic as well (regarded
as the best magic in the world). Judah comes to Egypt and infiltrates the
disciples, posing as one himself. It is from this vantage point that he is able
to cause Yeshu to forget the magical Name, resulting in the later's desire to
return to Jerusalem and relearn it. Judah sends warning to the Sages, along
with his plan to arrest him. [AH]
[9] Aramaic:
Ga'isa. [G]
[10] Or cabbage
stalk. [AH]
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Do Jewish Writings Mention Jesus of
Nazareth?
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If Jesus Christ caused so much trouble in
first century Israel, certainly the Jews would have written of Him, right?
So, what ancient Semitic writings are extant that mention Jesus of Nazareth?
Does the rabbinical literature corroborate Biblical accounts and, if not,
why? First, we need to understand the primary source documents from that time
period, which are contained in the Talmud. What is the Talmud? Briefly, ancient Jews passed down large amounts of Biblical (Old Testament) commentary and tradition from generation to generation. Rabbi Akiba, before his death in A.D. 135, and Rabbi Meir, organized and revised the material. Around A.D. 200, Rabbi Judah completed the project, which became known as the Mishnah (literally “teaching” or “repetition”). This was known as the Tannaitic Period. Commentary on the Mishnah was labeled the Gemaras 1 and was compiled from the third through the sixth centuries, during the Ammoraic Period. Gemara is derived from the Hebrew word meaning “to finish”. During the Ammoraic Period, two schools existed, one in Babylonia and another in Palestine. From approximately A.D. 350-425, the Mishnah and Gemara were combined in the first school at Jerusalem, called the Palestinian Talmud. The second school, in Babylonia, also included the Mishnah and Gemara, but continued to be compiled until around A.D. 500, so was a larger collection. This became known as the Babylonian Talmud. The word Talmud literally means “learning”.2 Volumes could be written on this subject, but that will suffice as a short introduction. Jesus in the Talmud A highly significant quotation is found in the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a. Translated into English, it reads: “On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Any one who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.' But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover!”3 Yeshu (sometimes, Yeshua) is derived from the Aramaic or Hebrew and translated into English as Jesus. But, someone might question whether this refers to Jesus Christ, because this person was “hanged”, not crucified, as the Bible states. Actually, the New Testament twice refers to Jesus being hanged: Galatians 3:13 (Greek kremamenos) and Luke 23:39 (Greek kremasthenton). The term “hang” does not strictly refer to the modern notion of hanging by a rope noose around the neck, but can include other methods of attachment to a wooden pole, as evidenced by Paul and Luke's usage of the term. Five Points From this Talmudic passage, several significant points may be understood. Gary Habermas, Ph.D., Michigan State University, History and Philosophy of Religion, lists these as follows:
So, what significance can we derive for a modern day understanding of the Bible from this passage written from 1,500 to 2,000 years ago? Josh McDowell graduated from Wheaton College and Magna Cum Laude from Talbot Theological Seminary. Concerning this writing, he and Bill Wilson noted: “This passage is significant because of what it does not deny. First, it does not deny Jewish involvement in Jesus' death. In fact, it does not even mention the Romans. Rather, it seeks to demonstrate the Jewish authorities carried out the sentencing, but in a just manner. The result is a clear affirmation of the historicity of Jesus and his death. Second, this passage does not deny that Jesus performed miracles. Rather, it tries to explain them away as being accomplished through sorcery or magic. The same response to Jesus' miracles is reported in Mark 3:22 and Matthew 9:34; 12:24. Once again, there is a clear affirmation of the historicity of Jesus, and this time of his miracles as well.”5 Comments in this passage are just about what one would expect of a Jewish rabbinical writer who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. On the subject of a precise mention of the time period Jesus was sought by the authorities, McDowell proposes the possibility that “The forty days may only be an apologetic device designed to deny that the trial was a speedy one.”6 The reference to 40 days may be an indicator that the authorities were seeking an opportunity to dispose of this troublemaker from Nazareth. In fact, the Bible mentions this in several places, without providing an exact time frame (John 5:18 and John 11:53-57). Authenticity Paul L. Maier, Ph.D., is Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University. His research includes a variety of methodologies involved in manuscript and textual analysis, archaeology, and comparison of sacred and secular sources from the first century A.D. Dr. Maier makes several points regarding the authenticity of this reference: “Four items in this statement strongly support its authenticity as a notice composed before Jesus' arrest: 1) The future tense is used; 2) Stoning was the regular punishment for blasphemy among the Jews whenever the Roman government was not involved; 3) There is no reference whatever to crucifixion; and 4) That Jesus was performing "sorcery"— the extraordinary or miraculous with a negative spin—is quite remarkable. This not only invokes what historians call the "criterion of embarrassment," which proves what is conceded, but accords perfectly with how Jesus' opponents explained away his miraculous healings: performing them with the help of Beelzebub (Luke 11:18).”7 Conclusion The bottom line is this: The Talmudic reference to Jesus is another in a long line of extra-Biblical documentary records that corroborate information found in the Bible. Many valid reasons exist for the authenticity of the Bible and this is one more piece of evidence showing that the Biblical accounts of Jesus of Nazareth can be trusted. |
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For those who wish to further research the historicity of Jesus Christ, the books listed in the endnotes of this article by Gary Habermas, as well as Josh McDowell and Bill Wilson, are highly recommended.
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