Jesus in the Talmud

7. Jesus’ DisciplesOne of the most characteristic features of the Gospels is the fact thatJesus gathered a circle of disciples around him. The selection of hisdisciples was a gradual process, which seems to have begun with four (SimonPeter and his brother Andrew, James son of Zebedee and his brotherJohn) 1 and ultimately led to the number twelve, clearly alluding to thetwelve tribes of Israel. 2 The twelve disciples accompanied him until his arrestin the garden of Gethsemane, celebrated the Last Supper with him,witnessed the betrayal of one of them (Judas) who delivered him to theauthorities, and the remaining eleven saw him after his resurrection. 3It is therefore hardly surprising that the Bavli, immediately after the accountof Jesus’ execution, adds another story about his disciples. It is againtransmitted as an (early) Baraita: 4Our Rabbis taught: Jesus the Nazarene 5 had five disciples, and theseare they:Mattai, Naqqai, Netzer, Buni, and Todah.When they brought Mattai (before the court), he [Mattai] said tothem [the judges]: Mattai shall be executed? It is written: When(matai) shall I come and appear before God? (Ps. 42:3). They [thejudges] answered him: Yes, Mattai shall be executed, since it is written:When (matai) will he die and his name perish? (Ps. 41:6).