Jesus in the Talmud

42 Chapter 4[Roman] Governor (hegemon) said to him: “How can an old manlike you occupy himself with such idle things?” He [R. Eliezer] answered:“I acknowledge the judge as reliable (ne>eman)!” 3 Since theGovernor thought that he referred to him—though he really referredto his Father in Heaven—he said to him: “Because you have acknowledgedme as reliable, 4 dimissus: 5 you are acquitted!”When he [R. Eliezer] came home, his disciples arrived to comforthim, but he would accept no consolation. Said R. Aqiva to him:“Master, will you permit me to say one thing of what you have taughtme?” He answered: “Say it!” He [Aqiva] said to him: “Master, perhapsyou encountered (some kind of ) heresy (minut) and you enjoyedit and because of that you were arrested?” He [R. Eliezer] answeredhim: “Aqiva, you have reminded me! Once I was walking inthe upper market of Sepphoris when I came across 6 someone/one ofthe disciples of Jesus the Nazarene, 7 and Jacob of Kefar Sekhaniah 8was his name.He [Jacob] said to me: 9 It is written in your Torah: You shall notbring the hire of the harlot [or the pay of a dog into the house of theLord, your God] (Deut. 23:19). May such money be used for makinga latrine for the High Priest? To which I made no reply.He [Jacob] said to me: Thus was I taught [by Jesus the Nazarene]: 10For from the hire of a harlot was it gathered 11 and to the hire of a harlotshall it 12 return (Mic. 1:7)—it came from a place of filth, and let it returnto a place of filth.This word pleased me very much, and that is why I was arrestedfor heresy (minut). Because I transgressed what is written in theTorah: Keep your way far from her (Prov. 5:8)—this refers to heresy(minut); and do not come near to the door of her house (ibid.)—thisrefers to the ruling power (rashut).”There are some who say: Keep your way far from her (Prov. 5:8)—this refers to heresy and the ruling power; 13 and do not come near tothe door of her house (ibid.)—this refers to the harlot. 14And how far (is one to keep away)? Rav Hisda said: Four cubits.This strange story, marked by its introductory formula as a Baraita andhence an early Palestinian tradition, leaves more questions open than it