Chizuk Emunah (Pt 2) Under the Microscope: Chapter 46

John 7:15, "And the Jews marvelled, saying. How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?"

Talmudical tradition informs us that he had a teacher, who was named R. Joshua Ben Perachiah, and that master and scholar had fled into Egypt to escape the persecution of King Janai.

There is a bit of irony that Troki, a Karaite, would quote rabbinic tradition to argue against the reliability of the book of John. Troki quotes a tradition found in two places in the Talmud, Sotah 47a and Sanhedrin 107b, but only in the uncensored edition.

Here is the text of Sotah:

What was the incident with R. Joshua b. Perahiah? — When King Jannaeus put the Rabbis to death, Simeon b. Shetah was hid by his sister, whilst R. Joshua b. Perahiah fled to Alexandria in Egypt. When there was peace, Simeon b. Shetah sent [this message to him]: 'From me, Jerusalem, the Holy city, to thee Alexandria in Egypt. O my sister, my husband dwelleth in thy midst and I abide desolate'. [R. Joshua] arose and came back and found himself in a certain inn where they paid him great respect. He said: 'How beautiful is this 'aksania'! One of his disciples said to him, 'My master, her eyes are narrow!' He replied to him, 'Wicked person! Is it with such thoughts that thou occupiest thyself!' He sent forth four hundred horns and excommunicated him. [The disciple] came before him on many occasions, saying 'Receive me'; but he refused to notice him. One day while [R. Joshua] was reciting the Shema, he came before him. His intention was to receive him and he made a sign to him with his hand, but the disciple thought he was repelling him. So he went and set up a brick and worshipped it. [R. Joshua] said to him, 'Repent'; but he answered him, 'Thus have I received from thee that whoever sinned and caused others to sin is deprived of the power of doing penitence'. A Master has said: The disciple practised magic and led Israel astray. 

The text of Sanhedrin is as follows:

What of R. Joshua b. Perahjah? — When King Jannai slew our Rabbis, R. Joshua b. Perahjah (and Jesus) fled to Alexandria of Egypt. On the resumption of peace, Simeon b. Shetach sent to him: 'From me, (Jerusalem) the holy city, to thee, Alexandria of Egypt (my sister). My husband dwelleth within thee and I am desolate.' He arose, went, and found himself in a certain inn, where great honour was shewn him. 'How beautiful is this Acsania!' (The word denotes both inn and innkeeper. R. Joshua used it in the first sense; the answer assumes the second to be meant.) Thereupon (Jesus) observed, 'Rabbi, her eyes are narrow.' 'Wretch,' he rebuked him, 'dost thou thus engage thyself.' He sounded four hundred trumpets and excommunicated him. He (Jesus) came before him many times pleading, 'Receive me!' But he would pay no heed to him. One day he (R. Joshua) was reciting the Shema', when Jesus came before him. He intended to receive him and made a sign to him. He (Jesus) thinking that it was to repel him, went, put up a brick, and worshipped it. 'Repent,' said he (R. Joshua) to him. He replied, 'I have thus learned from thee: He who sins and causes others to sin is not afforded the means of repentance.' And a Master has said, 'Jesus the Nazarene practised magic and led Israel astray.'

 It's more or less the same oral tradition, and is probably the source for the medieval story Toledot Jesu. One obvious point in the story is that Jesus is dated to the reign of Alexander Jannaeus, who lived from around 126 to 76 BCE. One might object that this passage cannot be about Jesus since the dating is about 100 years off. The problem is that the Gemara has other references to this oddly specific name "Jesus of Nazareth."

Consider Sanhedrin 43a

On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, 'He is going forth to be stoned because he has practised sorcery and enticed Israel to apostacy. Any one who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.' But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover! — Ulla retorted: 'Do you suppose that he was one for whom a defence could be made? Was he not a Mesith [enticer], concerning whom Scripture says, Neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him? With Yeshu however it was different, for he was connected with the government [or royalty, i.e., influential].'

Our Rabbis taught: Yeshu had five disciples, Matthai, Nakai, Nezer, Buni and Todah. When Matthai was brought [before the court] he said to them [the judges], Shall Matthai be executed? Is it not written, Matthai [when] shall I come and appear before God. Thereupon they retorted; Yes, Matthai shall be executed, since it is written, When Matthai [when] shall [he] die and his name perish. When Nakai was brought in he said to them; Shall Nakai be executed? It is not written, Naki [the innocent] and the righteous slay thou not? Yes, was the answer, Nakai shall be executed, since it is written, in secret places does Naki [the innocent] slay. When Nezer was brought in, he said; Shall Nezer be executed? Is it not written, And Nezer [a twig] shall grow forth out of his roots. Yes, they said, Nezer shall be executed, since it is written, But thou art cast forth away from thy grave like Nezer [an abhorred offshoot]. When Buni was brought in, he said: Shall Buni be executed? Is it not written, Beni [my son], my first born? Yes, they said, Buni shall be executed, since it is written, Behold I will slay Bine-ka [thy son] thy first born. And when Todah was brought in, he said to them; Shall Todah be executed? Is it not written, A psalm for Todah [thanksgiving]? Yes, they answered, Todah shall be executed, since it is written, Whoso offereth the sacrifice of Todah [thanksgiving] honoured me.

Or Consider Gittin 57a from the uncensored Talmud.

He then went and raised Jesus the Nazarene by incantations. He asked them: Who is in repute in the other world? He replied: Israel. What about joining them? He replied: Seek their welfare, seek not their harm. Whoever touches them touches the apple of his eye. He said: What is your punishment? He replied: With boiling hot excrement, since a Master has said: Whoever mocks at the words of the Sages is punished with boiling hot excrement.

The censored version of the Talmud has "sinners of Israel" in place of Jesus. The Talmud does get the name right, and the description that this Jesus is of Nazareth is strong evidence that this is the same Jesus they are talking about. When someone includes a description with such oddly specific details but gets some of the information wrong, you don't conclude that they are talking about a different subject, but that their information is wrong in some of the details.

Jesus is included in much the same way that Moses is included in the Koran. The information is very late, and has all sorts of theological embellishment and errors. Nobody argues that because the Koran gets details about Moses wrong that therefore he is talking about a different Moses.

The problem with Troki's argument is that the book of John is demonstrably a very early source compared to books like the Gnostic Gospels and the Talmud.

The earliest fragment of John that exists to this day is called P52, a papyrus that dates no later than the year 120, and is from a translated copy of the book of John. This means that the book was widely distributed and translated by this time. Troki is asking us not to believe a source written less than 100 years after the events because of what is written in a source over 500 years after the events. That is simply not good historiography.