Toledot Yeshu

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Toledot Yeshu[1] (תולדות ישו) is the title of two or more similarly themed but otherwise unrelated medieval Jewish manuscripts which tell the story of Jesus from an anti-Christian perspective.[2] They have been called the counter-gospels,[2] anti-gospels, and anti-evangels. The title is translated as Generations of Jesus[3] or The Life of Jesus.[4] While rabbinic tradition, the main position of Judaism, has nothing good to say about Jesus, the Toledoth Jeschu is popular polemic against Jesus "run wild".[2] Versions ascribe to Jesus an illegitimate birth, magic powers, and a shameful death.[5]

Contents

[edit] History

The materials contained in the books circulated orally (difficult to trace, but perhaps no earlier than the 2nd century) coalescing into book form in late Antiquity (4th century at the earliest or in or around the 6th century[6]) or the early Middle ages[2]. The books were widely circulated in Europe and the Middle East from the 9th century;[2] Agobard, archbishop of Lyon, attests to the existence of such a book in 826[2] in De Iudaicis Superstitionibus.[4]

Originally in Aramaic, there are recensions extant in Hebrew, and later versions in Judeo-Persian and Arabic as well as Yiddish and Ladino (Judeo-Spanish).[7] Long unknown to Christians, it was first translated into Latin by Raymond Martin, a Dominican friar, toward the end of the 13th century.[5]

[edit] Krauss version

Samuel Krauss collected versions of Toledot Yeshu recounting that Miriam had been betrothed to a nobleman by the name of Yochanan, who was both a descendant of the House of David, and a God-fearing Torah scholar.[4] In Yochanan's absence her neighbor, Yosef ben Pandera forced his way upon her,[8] coercing her into an act of sexual intercourse during her Niddah (a period of ritual impurity during which relations are forbidden according to Jewish Law). The fruit of the affair was a son she named Yeshu, "the bastard son of a menstruate woman."[4]

[edit] Wagenseil version

Johann Wagenseil's version published in 1681 is perhaps the most prominent.[2] The first section provides a treatment of Jesus; later sections deal with the exploits of his apostles.[2] Supplementary chapters tell of Nestorius and his attempts to keep Christians obeying Jewish custom, and the story of Simeon Kepha who is construed to be the Apostle Paul.[2]

[edit] Derivative character

Wagenseil's version is derivative in character, making heavy use of the canonical gospels, Acts, and the Hebrew Bible.[2] Some items about Jesus are adaptations from references to him in the Talmud. Jesus is portrayed as a seducer and a heretic, showing a connection to the traditions in Celsus, and has correspondence to Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho (17, 108) where Jesus is a deceiver, crucified by the Jews, whose disciples stole his body and deceived others by proclaiming his resurrection.[2] Derivations from the Talmud appear to be popular adaptions — polemic material aimed at two Christian doctrines, the virgin birth and the ascension.[2]

Concurrences with the gospel accounts include: his being the offspring of Joseph and Mary; that he was born in Bethlehem; that he was bold toward the Jewish elders; that he could perform sorcery; that he (pretended) to be born of a virgin; that he claimed to be the Son of God; that he applied Isaiah 7:14 to himself; that he raised the dead; that he healed a leper; that Jews fell down and worshipped him; that he entered Jerusalem upon an ass; that he applied to himself Zacharias 9:9; that he charged the Jews with being stiff-necked people; that he applied to himself the 2nd and 110th Psalms; that he walked on water; that he was betrayed by Judas; that he was scourged, crowned with thorns, and given vinegar to drink; that he was put to death on the Passover and buried before the Sabbath began; that his twelve apostles spread a story of his resurrection.[9]

[edit] Historicity

Scholarly consensus dismisses it as a reliable source for the historical Jesus; though Jane Schaberg contends the fable lends weight to the theory that Mary conceived Jesus as the result of being raped.[2]

[edit] Strassburg Manuscript

In the Strassburg Manuscript, Mary was seduced by a soldier called Ben Pandera.[7] The child Jesus shows great impudence by appearing bareheaded and disputing the Law with teachers.[7] The miracle working powers of Jesus are attributed to having stolen the Name of God from the Temple.[7] Jesus claims messianic dignity and is accused of sorcery by the Jews in front of Queen Helena of Jerusalem,[7] but Jesus raises a man from the dead in front of the Queen's eyes and is released.[7] Jesus goes to Galilee where he brings clay birds to life and makes a millstone float.[7] Judas Iscariot, the hero of the tale, learns the Divine Name as well, and Jesus and Judas fly through the sky engaged in aerial combat, with Judas victorious.[7] The now powerless Jesus is arrested and put to death by being hung upon a carob tree, and buried.[7] The body is taken away and his ascension is claimed by his apostles on the basis of the empty tomb.[7] But Jesus's body is found hidden in a garden and is dragged back to Jerusalem and shown to Queen Helena.[7]

[edit] Parallels

The works bear striking resemblance to Christian legends regarding Simon Magnus,[3] and to 12th century Christian portrayals of Muhammad.[3]

[edit] Christian response

Hostile Jewish portrayals of Christianity in the Toledoth Jeshu have been explained as a reaction to Christian anti-Judaism.[3] Anti-Jewish polemicists from the 9th century through the 20th have dredged up these texts and exploited them to flame Christian hostility towards Jews.[3]

A book under this title was strongly condemned by Francesc Eiximenis (d. 1409) in his Vita Christi.[10]

[edit] Trivia

The book is mentioned in the poem The Ring and the Book by Robert Browning.[11]

[edit] See also

[edit] Further reading

  • Toledoth Yeshu, translation of Morris Goldstein (Jesus in the Jewish Tradition) and Alan Humm.

[edit] References

  1. ^ also known as the Sefer Toledot Yeshu, Toldoth Yechu, Sepher Toldos Jeschu, etc.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Van Voorst, Robert E. (2000). Jesus Outside the New Testament: A Introduction to the Ancient Evidence. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, pp 122f. ISBN 0802843689. 
  3. ^ a b c d e Tolan, John Victor (2002). Saracens: Islam in the Medieval European Imagination. New York: Columbia University Press, 17f. ISBN 0231123329. 
  4. ^ a b c d Schäfer, Peter (2002). Mirror of His Beauty: Feminine Images of God from the Bible to the Early Kabbalah. Princeton University Press, pp 211f. ISBN 0691090688. 
  5. ^ a b Webster, Nesta H. (2000). Secret Societies and Subversive Movements. Book Tree, pp 21f. ISBN 1585090921. 
  6. ^ Maas, Michael (2005). The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Justinian. Cambridge University Press, pg 406. ISBN 0521817463. 
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Gero, Stephan (1988). "Apocraphyl Gospels: A Survey" (in German / English). Aufsteig UN Niedergang Der Romischen Welt Teil II (Band 25 (5 teilband)): pp 3391f. ISBN 3110018853. 
  8. ^ Later Slavonic versions portray Mary as active in the adulterous affair. Schafer, Op cit.
  9. ^ Frey, Joseph Samuel C.F. (1837). Joseph and Benjamin: a Series of Letters on the Controversy between Jews and Christians 1. New York: Peter Hills, pp 214. 
  10. ^ McMichael, Steven J.; Susan E. Myers (2004). Friars and Jews in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Brill Academic Publishers, 157. ISBN 9004113983. 
  11. ^ Browning, Robert (1910). in Phelps, William Lyon: Robert Browning's Complete Works. F. DeFau & company, pg. 144.