Foundations of Faith
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FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH IN JESUS<br />
M. M. NINAN<br />
In the first few centuries CE, there were many sects <strong>of</strong> Judaism (such as Pharisees, Essenes, and<br />
Sadducees) each claiming to be the correct faith. Early Christianity was simply one <strong>of</strong> many<br />
sects <strong>of</strong> Judaism where Jesus <strong>of</strong> Nazaareth was the long awaited Mesiah. Some sects wrote<br />
polemics advocating their position, and occasionally disparaging rival sects. It is therefore quite<br />
possible that the depictions <strong>of</strong> Jesus in the Talmud is presented as such by rival groups Even<br />
though some Christian scholars consider that these references are such depictions, even a basic<br />
analysis will show that none <strong>of</strong> these refer to the Christian Jesus.<br />
Talmud and Tosefta<br />
The earliest undisputed occurrences <strong>of</strong> the term Yeshu are found in five anecdotes in the Tosefta<br />
(c 200 CE) and Babylonian Talmud (c 500 CE). The anecdotes appear in the Babylonian Talmud<br />
during the course <strong>of</strong> broader discussions on various religious or legal topics.<br />
The Venice edition <strong>of</strong> the Jerusalem Talmud contains the name Yeshu, but the Leiden<br />
manuscript has a name deleted, and "Yeshu" added in a marginal gloss. Schäfer (2007) writes<br />
that due to this, Neusner treats the name as a gloss and omitted it from his translation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Jerusalem Talmud.<br />
Klausner views the accounts as finally understood to be at most spurious legends combining<br />
Jesus with other individuals.<br />
Here are some titbits which give some insight into the problem<br />
++++++++++++++++++++++<br />
The following analysis is taken from The Jesus Narrative In The Talmud Written by Gil Student<br />
as given in http://www.angelfire.com/mt/talmud/jesusnarr.html<br />
Here is how Gil Student explains the Jesus passages away:<br />
"Passage #1: Ben Stada<br />
Talmud Shabbat 104b, Sanhedrin 67a<br />
It is taught: R. Eliezer told the sages: Did not Ben Stada bring witchcraft with him from<br />
Egypt in a cut that was on his skin? They said to him: He was a fool and you cannot<br />
bring pro<strong>of</strong> from a fool.<br />
Ben Stada is Ben Pandira.<br />
R. Chisda said: The husband was Stada and the lover was Pandira.<br />
[No,] the husband was Pappos Ben Yehudah and the mother was Stada.<br />
[No,] the mother was Miriam the women's hairdresser [and was called Stada]. As we say<br />
in Pumbedita: She has turned away [Stat Da] from her husband.<br />
Summary<br />
What we see from here is that there was a man named Ben Stada who was considered to be a<br />
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