Jesus in the Talmud

180 Notes to Chapter 9the latter all agree that such a person must be executed. Hence, it is not just thedeclaration but the successful seduction into idolatry that matters.42. m Sanh 7:5.43. Mk. 14:61–64; Lk. 22:67–71; John 19:7.44. y Taan 2:1/24, fol. 65b. A late and much more developed version of thismidrash can be found in the Saloniki 1521–1527 edition of the collection calledYalqut Shimoni, § 765 (end); see Maier, Jesus von Nazareth, pp. 87f. (who againexplains Jesus away).45. This latter part is an abbreviated version of Num. 23:19.46. This last link of the chain is rather loose; in particular, the promise toascend to heaven has no equivalent in the Bible verse.47. Maier, Jesus von Nazareth, pp. 76–82.48. Maier (ibid., p. 79) refers to the parallel with the biblical Adam: likeAdam, who ultimately was driven out of Paradise (and regretted his hubris),Hiram was ousted from his power (and regretted his hubris). This does not makemuch sense in our context.49. In the first part of the interpretation, the emphasis is placed, not on Godnot being a man/Son of Man, but on God not being a man who lies/a Son ofMan who repents.50. More precisely: it appears, except for Acts 7:56 (in the mouth ofStephen), only in the Gospels and only in the mouth of Jesus. On the “historicity”of the title see Geza Vermes, Jesus the Jew: A Historian’s Reading of theGospels, Philadelphia: Fortress, 1981, pp. 177–186.51. See Ephraim E. Urbach, “Homilies of the Rabbis on the Prophets of theNations and the Balaam Stories,” Tarbiz 25, 1955/56, pp. 286f.52. Maier, Jesus von Nazareth, p. 80.53. PesR 21, ed. Friedmann, fol. 100b–101a. The attribution to R. Hiyya barAbba is the reason why I include this midrash in my discussion, despite the (relatively)late date of the Pesiqta Rabbati compilation.54. In the plural.55. In the singular.56. The standard prooftext for this is Mekhilta, Yitro 5, ed. Horovitz-Rabin,pp. 219f. (with many parallels).57. The classical prooftext is BerR 1:7, ed. Theodor-Albeck, I, p. 4 (againwith many parallels).