Jesus in the Talmud

In this slender, attractive, volume, Peter Schäfer analyzes all the key passages from the Babylonian Talmud pertaining to Jesus of Nazareth. Following a brief general introduction (1-14), the sources are covered, sensibly, in biographical order: Schäfer begins with Jesus' family life (15-24), proceeds through his education (25-40), teaching (41-51), healings (52-62), execution (63-74), and, finally, his punishment in hell (82-94). As we have come to expect from this author, careful attention to the manuscript variants--particularly essential for this topic--characterizes the analysis throughout. A thoughtful cumulative essay on Jesus in the Talmud concludes the volume (95-129).

On the one hand, the author's collection is expansive: He helpfully includes all the Bavli passages that possibly discuss Jesus, irrespective of any judgment concerning their historicity. Schäfer includes B. Sanhedrin 107b (Jesus as a disciple of Joshua ben Perahya) and B. Sanhedrin 67a ([Jesus] Ben Stada executed in Lod), even though these are believed by some authorities (e.g., Joseph Klausner and Jacob Z. Lauterbach) to refer to other controversial characters either coincidentally named Jesus or eventually confused with him rather late in the traditions' development. Erring on the side of inclusion in all these decisions, Schäfer stands on solid ground, and he serves his readers well. On the other hand, the author has less helpfully chosen to focus primarily on the topic as defined by his title: Jesus in the Talmud. Passages concerning (alleged) Christians or Christian teachings without mentioning Jesus directly (e.g., B. Shabbat 116a-b) are not discussed (cf. 186 n. 107). Passages from nontalmudic literature (Kohelet Rabbah) are addressed only insofar as they relate to the talmudic passages the book focuses on. Finally, Schäfer has presented the texts in translation, with only occasional transliterations of key Hebrew and Aramaic terms. So buyers beware: The present volume will not replace R. Travers Herford's Christianity in Talmud and Midrash.¹ Still, for its careful textual notes, provocative analysis, and helpful bibliography, this new work should surely find a place right next to Herford in the personal...